kingseeking | PSL/Meme Continuation

[Monmouth - although Gansey has lived there for a few months now - can be a terribly haunting place at night, especially when Ronan is out (racing, God, he's probably racing in this rain, he's probably dead in a ditch somewhere), and Noah is...off doing whatever it is that Noah does. While the second floor is decidedly more homey than the first, the floor to ceiling windows really aren't much comfort when it's pitch black outside and storming (Ronan is dead in a ditch, he just knows it). Gansey has his earbuds in, and he's trying to pretend that the entire evening isn't becoming quickly uncomfortable as the storm rages on and the night grows darker.

[Then he hears a clang downstairs that echoes so loudly he can hear it over his music. He yanks the earbud from one ear, heart jumping in his chest.

[An intruder? Goddamn that downstairs door never locking (or maybe he just forgot to lock it - maybe Ronan forgot to lock it ~~dead in a ditch, dead in a ditch~~). He furrows his brow, listens a bit closer to the sound of-- Oh yes, someone is certainly downstairs. And it's not Ronan - Ronan ~~is dead in a fucking ditch~~ would have slammed the door downstairs shut so loud it rocked the brick building.

[This is highly discomfiting. So Gansey grabs a crowbar. Nothing wrong with a little friendly (and armed) confrontation. He doesn't creep quietly to the door leading to the bottom floor either. Confidence is important. So he thrusts it open, making no show of hiding the weapon in his hand, and calls down, voice deep, firm, but somehow still somewhat friendly:] Hello, now. What's all this?

[ After picking up what she knocked over and carefully standing it back up, Esther's quite content to just find somewhere to sit until the storm passes. Maybe try and calm down, maybe wring some of the water out of her hair and cardigan-

Then she thinks she hears footsteps, her breath catching in her throat as she stops dead in her tracks. Maybe she was just hearing things. It's an old building, they make sounds, right? ]

Just the rain, just the rain-

[ Her voice is tiny, and almost as thin as her attempt to reassure herself, something that's blown entirely to smithereens when a voice calls out, and she spins around to discover that it belongs to a person.

A male person. Holding a crowbar.

For someone so fond of horror movies, she really thought she'd be better at spotting when she was about to walk into one.

Needless to say, she looks terrified before she has a chance to pretend she isn't, and sounds much the same when she - rather pathetically - replies; ]

I-I'm sorry, I-I didn't- I didn't know anyone lived here.

[ Aaand back towards the door she'll be heading now, thanks. She likes her chances in a storm better than against a guy with a crowbar. ]

[The voice that replies to Gansey's dangerously friendly greeting is--

[Oh dear, it's not an intruder at all. It's a girl. A young and very frightened girl. And she's about to head back out into the storm, already soaking wet. He glances at the crowbar his hand and--

[Oh my. My, this is a terrible, terrible first impression. He hurriedly drops the crowbar, which subsequently slides down the stairs and clatters loudly to the floor, thereby worsening an already terrible first impression. Gansey feels mortified.]

Wait! [He stops himself halfway down the staircase, not wanting to chase the poor thing out into the rain any faster than she's already going. He takes care to put on his friendliest smile, and the gentlest voice he can put on without betraying how miserably embarrassed he actually feels right now. Gansey is not one to betray his lack of confidence at any point, and especially not with someone he's just met.] Please, forgive me. There's no need to go back out into that rain.

[He ventures a chuckle, wondering if that will help lighten the mood - probably not.] Truthfully, I think you frightened me about as much as I frightened you. Really, I'm terribly sorry.

Please, come in and stay dry. Let me get you a jacket at least.

[ The noise of the crowbar clanging and clattering to the floor does not, in fact, help to comfort her at all. It actually startles a small, frightened sound from her, just as she stops dead for the second time.

Perhaps choosing this exact moment to do as she's told is not the wisest of choices, but she stops and she waits, turning in half a second, actually making herself look at who she's talking to now. He doesn't seem dangerous or like he wants to hurt her, but that means nothing to her. Nothing at all.

The most dangerous ones are always the ones who look the kindest. Say the nicest things. ]

N-No, it's okay, [ she says, not sounding like it - or she - is okay at all, ] I'm sorry, I didn't mean to just come in- well I did, obviously, but I just mean I-

[ Stop talking, Esther. ]

I-I'm okay, I'm fine, I don't want to trouble you. I can go, I don't mind.

[ Cue a rumble of thunder, much closer now. And cue her flinching a little at the sound (God, she actually flinches. Christ...) ]

[Gansey can't help but wince a little when Esther flinches. The storm sounds terribly close, and as much as he'd like to not come off as more of a creep than he already has, he simply can't have this young girl wandering off into the thick of it. He descends the rest of the way down the stairs - very slowly, and with his hands up. And then he speaks in a very soft voice, saying:]

I see you're scared, and I'm terribly sorry to have scared you. If you'd like to stay down here, I don't mind. But please, don't go back out into that storm.

[Finally, the smile on his face fades a bit as he goes to run a thumb absently over his lip, considering what to do, how to make this better. Then he pulls it away and smiles again.]

I should introduce myself at least, right? I'm Richard Gansey - just Gansey will do though. [His words are coated with an old and honey-baked Virginia accent.] I'm a student at Aglionby, the Preparatory Academy in town. Upstairs is my apartment - like I said, please stay down here if you're more comfortable, but do allow me to bring you some warm clothes at least. You're shivering.

[ It's clear as daylight that she's afraid, and yet when he points it out, it sends a ripple of embarrassment right through her. Not that she can really act like she isn't at this point. She just wishes she could be as confident as she is on the stage the rest of the time too.

All she can do is take a deep breath and will herself to calm down. Rationally she knows that this guy is probably not going to do anything to her. And stupidly, it sort of helps when he introduces himself. Makes him a little less intimidating. After all, it'd be rather silly of him to tell her his name if he planned to do anything to her.

Unless he planned to kill her immediately afterwards, although that option - whilst initially scary - wouldn't be so bad. At least she wouldn't have to go home again.

Actually....that thought's rather comforting. She glances up behind him to the top of the stairs before blue eyes fall back to Gansey. ]

...I'm Esther. Esther Loveless. [ She doesn't particularly want to shake his hand, but not wanting to appear more rude than she already has, she extends her hand anyway. ] It's nice to meet you.

[ Another glance up at the doorway, hands wringing together in nervousness once they're back together. She is very cold, and the offer of dry clothes is a very tempting one indeed.

And she really doesn't want to stay down here. No thank you. ]

...That's very nice of you, but only if you're sure..? I really don't want to be any trouble, I've already interrupted your evening for too long.

[Ah, a handshake. They can be such a comforting thing for someone who strives always to make a good impression. He's quite confident in his own, which is firm and, he hopes, all the more reassuring. He smiles broadly as he bestows it upon her.]

A lovely name. And it's lovely to meet you.

And please, I insist. You haven't put me out a bit. In fact, I was finding it a bit lonely up there before you came along. [He laughs a bit when he says this, then immediately realizes that it makes him sound like a huge creep who's trying to get a lady up to his room. He takes care not to let the friendly expression falter even as he inwardly kicks himself. Always eating his words, this one.] That is to say, it can be a rather, ah...Well, if I'm to be honest with you, without my roommates home, I was made a little uneasy by the storm.

That's all. So I don't mind. Really. [God, please don't run back out into the rain. He turns back around on the stairs, but looks over his shoulder to continue offering that wide smile of his.] Come then. We'll get you something warm to wear - and drink too. Tea or coffee, whatever you prefer. Mountain Dew even. [They have so...much.]

[ It's a very odd feeling when learned wariness collides in a teenage brain with the particular hormone that makes you think 'oh hey, this boy has a rather nice smile, perhaps don't let your face do anything stupid.'

It doesn't happen often, so Esther's just as quick to take her hand back as she is to smile back (granted, not as broadly as Gansey, but it's a valiant attempt.) ]

Y-Yeah, you too.

[ When he turns back to start heading upstairs, she does glance back at the door, as if reassuring herself it's still there, but she does eventually follow Gansey upstairs. She'd be lying if she said the prospects of roommates - presumably more boys - doesn't send a shiver of uneasiness through her, but she tries to push that down as she nods, tries to smile again. ]

Thank you, really. I won't be long, just until the storm passes- a-and tea would be lovely.

[ Yes, she's a stereotype. No she's not sorry. ]

Um...What's Mountain Dew?

[ Blame the British private school system. Good for a lot of things but the sampling of radioactive American sugar water is not among them. ]

["Good question," Gansey thinks, but what he says is:] A type of soda. Not quite sure how to explain the flavor. ["Green" is the only word that comes to mind.] My roommates like it.

[At least he thinks Noah likes it. Come to think of it, he's never actually seen him drink it. Ah well.

[With this, Gansey reaches the top of the stairs and pushes the door open, then steps inside and holds it for Esther to pass through. Where the first of floor of Monmouth is a quite unremarkable thing - bare, dusty, cold, dark - the second floor is quite the opposite, and something Gansey has become quite proud of, in fact.

[The main area is massive, spanning thousands of square feet, lit with various lamps on various surfaces that paint the space with a warm yellow glow. Two of the walls are made entirely of windows, largely comprised of old, warped panes of glass, aside from the few clear panes that Gansey has replaced. Given the time of night and the storm raging outside, all that can be seen through them now are black clouds, the glow of distant streetlights, foggy through the rain, and the occasionally dash of white lightening across the sky (no wonder he'd found it an eerie place before Esther showed up).

[The contents of the room are a wild mish mash of a researcher's ventures - a telescope pointed out of one window, a large wooden desk pushed against one wall with an antique phone and a mint plant on top of it, file cabinets with files and old books strewn around them on the floor - books everywhere around the space, in fact, all of varying ages and degrees of wear. In the middle of the floor is Gansey's bed, a small frame with two mattresses pushes together on top of it (it's only half-made).

[The most noticeable thing though is what lies in the center of the room - a massive scale model of the town of Henrietta, made up of painstakingly painted and glued-together pieces of cardboard, cereal boxes, various packing materials, etc., etc.. It's impossible to miss for the sheer size and accuracy of the thing - a result of Gansey's frequent episodes of insomnia, though one might not know that upon first glance.

[Gansey doesn't make a great show about introducing her to the place - merely waves a hand vaguely about it and says:] Much nicer up here, isn't it?

[Then he goes about digging in a dresser that's placed against one of the walls, pulling out an offensively green sweater and, after some thought, a pair of sweat pants that makes the sweater look even more offensive for how mismatched it is against them. He hands these to Esther, then nods across the space toward the bathroom before making his way for it. They'll pass two other doors on the way - proper bedrooms, rather than where Gansey stays.]

For you to change-- Ah, don't mind the fridge in there. The only place with proper wiring for one, you see.

[ Whatever Esther was expecting a few seconds ago is completely blown out of the water when she steps into the room. It's the polar opposite to her home - both the one she left behind in England and the one she's trying to settle in now. There everything has it's place, nothing's allowed to be messy or chaotic.

This has that chaotic feeling, but in a nice way; a way that feels like the space is used, lived in and loved. Esther's not entirely sure what to focus on first, but the model of the town soon takes the lead as she makes her way further into the room, letting her backpack slide off of her shoulder. Putting it down where it's hopefully out of the way, she glances Gansey's way long enough to reply, but she's eager to keep admiring the place. ]

Definitely...

[ She wants to ask about the model, or just look around and explore a bit (if that's the right word for it), but she doesn't want to appear rude or nosy, and she's very aware she's dripping rain water everywhere. So she doesn't touch anything or go much further into the room until Gansey hands her a change of clothes. With a glance over at the bathroom, she has to smile a little at the mention of the fridge. ]

Thank you so much.

[ Hey, no judgement here boys; you gotta do what you gotta do.

It's a huge relief to get out of her wet things, and it's not until she's gotten changed that she realised just how cold she was. Yeah, a cup of something hot and caffeinated is definitely going to be needed now.

After a couple of minutes she comes back out of the bathroom, wet clothes as wrung out as they're going to get, just so she doesn't make more of a mess than she fears she already has. ]

This is amazing.

[ She says once she's with Gansey again, motioning to the scale model. ]

Did one of you make it? [ Duh, of course one of them made it. What an obvious thing to ask. ] I mean- just one of you? It looks like a lot of work for one person.

[Gansey is halfway through popping a tea pod into his Keurig, which is stacked on an overturned crate near an outlet - there really is nothing like a proper kitchen about this place - when Esther emerges from the bathroom. He turns to her with an easy smile, eyes following her motion toward the makeshift Henrietta. He lets out a soft chuckle at the question - it's one he struggles not to feel sheepish over, but he's sure not to let his confidence waver when he answers.]

Just something I meddle with in my free time. [Long, tired, often anxious nights spent alone with craft glue and acrylic paint. He stands up from where he'd been crouched by the coffee maker, which makes a soft roaring sound as it heats up.] Is mint tea alright? I thought I had some other options, but ah...

Well, there's always coffee too if you don't like it. Or iced tea! There should be some in the fridge.

[Then he drifts closer to the model town, nearer by where Esther stands, and puts his hands on his hips, overlooking it as if he were its king.] Henrietta, if you couldn't tell. Have you been here long?

[ 'Something I meddle with'. Pfft. She has to smile at that - a look that comes to her a little easier now. Just a little bit. ]

That's some impressive meddling. I've never been good at building things. [ RIP to every school project that's involved crafts. ] Oh- mint's fine, thank you. I wouldn't say no to anything warm right now.

[ As Gansey steps closer, Esther subtly moves away a step or two - thankfully something made easier with the pretence of looking at more of the town. Well, it's not entirely pretend - she really is impressed!

Especially when he reveals it's the literal town they're in; somehow that makes it even cooler. ]

No, only about a week - I thought it'd be a good idea to look around and get to know the place, but that didn't really go to plan. [ She gestures a little sheepishly to the storm, a rumble of thunder making itself heard delightfully on cue. ] First time in America...not really off to a brilliant start.

Ah, well. No time like the present is there? [He gestures again to the model town, grinning broadly with one hand still placed on his hip. He looks not unlike a proud father at a Fourth of July barbecue, what with the khakis, polo, boat shoes...] Get yourself acquainted. There's Main Street there, Church of the Holy Redeemer there-- Ah, and Nino's, of course. I suppose you haven't yet been to Nino's.

[It's all punctuated with a good-natured chuckle, and then he's off to retrieve the tea. When he makes his way back to Henrietta (Lite), he has a mug full of mint, which he hands to Esther.] Careful. Hot.

[Then, as if only to match the sudden scent of the evening, he pulls a literal mint leave out of one of his pockets and pops it in his mouth.] We don't have a couch, I'm afraid.

But if you'd like to sit, please feel free to use the bed. Or there's the desk there across town. [He laughs again. It's funny, what with the tiny town. Get it?]

No, not yet. Honestly I haven't really left the house much, there's been a lot to do, unpacking and everything...

[ It sure would be handy if she could just memorise the town here and now and be able to apply it to when she's next out, but Esther knows she wouldn't be able to remember everything. She does try to work out where her new home is in relationship to the modified cereal boxes, but then she's being handed tea, and her attention's pulled away.

Alongside the dry clothes, the warmth from the mug alone is already doing wonders for her mood. ]

Thank you so much.

[ The idea of sitting on the bed seems far too awkward to entertain, as does sitting on the desk (even though he's just given her permission to, it seems so rude; she knows she wouldn't want people sitting on hers at home...)

So, she just shakes her head, her smile...not really brightening at all, but she tries to make it seem that way regardless. ]

No, no - I'm fine, really. I don't want to be in the way. [ And, as she takes a sip of tea and promptly burns the ever-loving fuck out of her tongue, not that Gansey would know (though it does seem appropriate to note it); ]

So, um...the academy you attend, I guess that must be the all-boys school? [ Fuck her mouth hurts. ] Is it nice? I start at Cheltenham next week and I'm a little terrified.

[What's more awkward - standing in the middle of the room all night instead of taking the seat that's been offered you, or Gansey not realizing that there's no chair at the desk he just offered up as a seat. He still doesn't notice, but he also doesn't press Esther to sit down. And he doesn't sit down himself.

[He chews on his mint leaf as he talks now, still smiling brightly through it somehow. He has very nice teeth.] Aglionby, yes. Fine school.

And Cheltenham too! [He does, in fact, pronounce the "ham".] Lovely girls at Cheltenham. I'm sure you have no reason to be nervous.

[He's sounding a bit like a fuckboy again, but he doesn't seem disingenuous. They'll probably love the fact that she's English alone enough not to ostracize her, though she could do with a little more confidence, but clearly he can't say any of that.

[Still, she'll be fine. Gansey understands that places like Aglionby or Cheltenham can be intimidating - he doesn't particularly understand why, but he understands that they can - but if Adam could get used to Aglionby, surely anyone could get used to anything.]

Aglionby's known to partner up with Cheltenham for an event every now and then. Both schools give you a perfectly decent shot at a good university. It's certainly a privilege to attend one.

[Blah, blah. He doesn't really feel that way all that much. Aglionby fits into his life rather than his life fitting in between his time at Aglionby. But it seems like the right thing to say, maybe what most people want to hear.

[He wonders how that will suit Esther, though. He wonders if she's much like a Cheltenham girl at all.]

[ For what it's worth, his accent - and therefore, his pronunciation - warms her smile a touch. She should get used to it, she supposes; she'll be the one pronouncing things strangely in every else's eyes here, he's in the majority - but it's funny to her nonetheless.

Endearing, even, if she were to take his looks into account.

Which she isn't.

She glances back at her tea. ]

It doesn't seem as though it's much different to my old school, really. All big academies sort of look the same after you've attended one or two. It's more that it's an odd time in the year to be joining, is all. I hate feeling as though I'm behind on things.

What will you study, if you're planning on going to uni..? [ Business, probably. Or law. Not that she's meaning to stereotype, but...

Well. Yeah. ]

I'm hoping to go into music composition, or performance - maybe both, I haven't quite decided yet.

[Ah, the dreaded question. He's been asked it so many times that he's not even sure which false answer to give any more. "Undecided thus far - maybe business! There's so much you can do with a business degree. My father, you know, he's done wonderful with business, and my mother's background in law--" blah, blah, blah, blah. He hates this question. But he tries not to let that show on his face. Still, the perfectly polished smile falters just slightly into something more authentic, because when Esther said that all academies start to look the same after a while, well. He felt that.

[He decides, after a bit of hesitation, to be more honest than usual when answering.] Truthfully, I haven't really thought all that much about it. [He sounds only slightly self-conscious when he says this - perhaps a bit like a young student who isn't sure he's given the right answer in class. Gansey is not often that student.] I'm rather focused on what I spend my time with now, is all.

Music, though. [He raises his eyebrows.] Terribly admirable. What do you play?

No, that's- that's fair enough.

[ She can tell that maybe that question has been a bit overused - God knows she gets it enough - but he's good enough not to roll his eyes or anything like that at least. Makes her wonder what he will end up doing though, when they've left their respective academies behind.

For the first time since coming upstairs, she perks up a bit more; almost involuntarily. ]

The violin. Piano, too, but violin is what I love most. I started when I was little and I've never looked back.

Piano, now. That’s terribly admirable. [He laughs.] I took lessons as a child, but I had no patience for it. Not terribly musically inclined, I’m afraid.

But I do love to hear it. If only I had one lying around, I might ask you to play.

[It’s good to see her at once look more comfortable. Gansey does love passion if anything. And his smile is exceedingly genuine.]

PSL/Meme Continuation

HERE IT IS

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