itinere | (no subject)

When Blue Sargent walks through the doors to the guidance counselor's office, pamphlet in hand and Noah trailing behind her, the last thing she expects to see are buildings that clearly do not belong in Henrietta. She turns behind her to see the doors closed behind her and Noah nowhere to be found. Slowly, Blue turns in a circle and looks for the tell tale signs of her friend. A flicker of a body, items moving that shouldn't.

"Noah?" she calls out when her search comes up empty handed. She reaches for one of the doors, thinking that perhaps she left him behind in the high school. Or maybe he disappeared when her name had been called. She tries to open the door and frowns when it refuses to budge. Again, she shouts: "Noah!"

Nothing.

Suddenly, she wishes she had her pocket knife on her instead of this useless pamphlet to a college she probably can't afford anyway. Something useful. Though Blue is no stranger to the weird and the impossible, lately, she's preferred to be prepared. Mountain View High School isn't on a ley line. She's no where near Gabeswater. She can't think of a single rational explanation to this impossible place.

Chin up, gaze steeled, she takes a step forward into the city. She might be alone here in this unknown city but Blue refuses to be afraid. Unaware of the PDA in her pocket and the start of answers it holds, she takes another step forward. She refuses to be trapped here, to have disappeared like her father and now, more recently, like her mother. She has a life to get back to. Boys to get back to.

~~Gansey to get back to.~~

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Blue has already encountered Adam Parrish in his garage, working despite the cold that seems to nag at him. She had chided him lightly for working while sick even though she understands that need. But however sick Adam had been, Ronan looks ten times worse. Of course he'd be walking around without a lick of common sense, too.

"You should be home in bed," she scolds without hesitation. That scowl doesn't scare her. It rarely does. "Especially if you think you're seeing hallucinations. What are you doing out?"

Ronan is out walking about because of the same need. He's slept until he feels like he's going to get bed sores from sleeping.

He scowls at Blue's scolding. He may like her better than he used to (he just doesn't understand her or anyone's fascination with her) but he doesn't like being scolding regardless of how much he like someone. He only tolerates it from Gansey because it's Gansey. "Because the damn apartment is filling up with frustration sick dream things," he says it in a tone of voice that implies that Blue should realize this despite the fact that her not having thought of this is totally valid.

He can control his dreaming now; he's very good at that control, but when he's sick and bored his mind searches for things to do. Fevered dream things are the result.

She rolls her eyes at his scowl and tone. Like she's supposed to know the result of fever dreams. Ronan's ability is fascinating but there's still so much she doesn't know about it. There had been strange items in the Barns. Toasters that worked without electricity, creepy looking masks, knickknacks that Blue couldn't even begin to figure out a purpose to. She knows that Chainsaw came from his dreams just like Aurora Lynch came from his father's. The thought of anything that what might come out of Ronan's frustrated sick dreams is a little worrisome.

It's not an actual excuse to be out for a walk when sick, however.

"Then Adam and I will clean it out while you sleep."

They're just going to be scowl buddies. Basically, things are normal already. At least between Blue and Ronan. Honestly, there's still a lot that Ronan is figuring out and even more he's reluctant to share because Niall was so adamant that he not tell anyone about the dreaming. For the most part, Ronan has control of the dangerous parts of the dream. He doesn't hate himself now and that has a big influence on what he pulls out of his dreams. Though, if he's sick and he has a nightmare, it could be bad.

Sure it's not!

Ronan smirks at that. "You've seen Parrish then?"

"In his garage," Blue responds patiently. If they're standing here talking, at least, his body has a chance to rest. It's not ideal but it has to be better than if he kept walking. So Blue hopes.

Especially since the mention of Adam brings back a reminder of the other boy's state of health. It hadn't been as bad as Ronan seems but maybe she had been too soon in volunteering Adam to help clean. She frowns slightly. "Come to think of it, he seems to be catching whatever it is you have. And here I thought it was Gansey who had trouble taking proper care of himself."

He's not going to keel over even if he should be in bed. "That's where he is most of the time."

"It's something going around," he says but scowls at the idea that he can't take care of himself. "We're perfectfly fucking able to take care of ourse
No. They're really not. Though Adam does a pretty good job of taking care of Ronan at least.

She'd still prefer not to take any chances in this strange city. They might not have adequate health care here. Perhaps the illness could be magical in nature. Could illness be magical in nature? Blue doesn't know. Nut she does believe that sometimes, it pays off to be safe rather than sorry.

Her arms cross over her chest. She's not buying this. "By going for a walk? I may not be a doctor but even I know this isn't how you get better.""

Ronan just glares at her a moment. "The fuck you want me to do? Go back. Lock myself in my room with fucking chicken noodle soup and hand sanitizer?"

Clearly he thinks this is the most absurd idea ever.

He’s not alone in thinking that it sounds absurd. Chicken soup is a wonderful thing to consume when sick but it’s not the only food or drink. Tea helps, too. Water. If he has a flu like symptoms, something ginger would help him. And she’d insist on soap and water over sanitizer. But she doesn’t think Ronan will listen to any of that.

Blue rolls her eyes at the response. Overall, she remains patient. Arguing with him won’t get either of them anywhere. “You’ll need more than that. We’ll lock you in the apartment instead.”

Ronan won't listen to any of that, but he has been drinking and eating a surprising amount of ginger ale and chicken noodle soup, mostly because that's what Adam has been making. He snorts at her comment, something that would be more intimidating if he weren't so sick.

"Yeah, that's gonna work out well for you."

Even if he weren't so sick, Blue isn't the sort to get intimidated so easily. She knows Ronan well enough by now. He can be dangerous and vicious when pressed but Blue thinks that a lot of the time, his bark is worse than his bite. Her arms cross over her chest. The expression on Blue's face remains defiant.

"I believe it will."