Watch Out for the Reincows! | OTA

[un_wir_greywaren]

Who: Ronan Niall Lynch and YOU
What: WTF Driftcrest, gifts, bird perch, accidental dreaming, romance, friendship, dream creatures.
When: Backdated & Starting Dec 20th - 25th
Where: The Barns and anywhere around Driftcrest.
Warnings: Language, for sure. Possible intoxication. Loud music Ronan loves, but probably won't be appreciated by everyone. Will add as needed. Also, feel free to NOT watch the video for the music, it's very strange and not needed.

~*~

WTF Driftcrest

The morning of the 20th Ronan woke up colder than he'd fallen asleep. The floor was cold, the walls, the windows were frosted around the edges, and there was a chill in the air unlike the previous nights. Snow. The Barns was covered in snow. The Pig, the BMW, Adam's motorcycle. His first thought were the animals so he dressed quickly, dragging on layers and bitching about needing to pick up some winter gear. He'd also need to light the fireplaces when he got back to the house, but first he had to check the property and barns. Chainsaw followed him out and watched over him the entire time. It was very strange to find the barns already heated and everyone inside, with the exception of Drill Bit who was with Gansey most likely. Even the adopted animals that had found refuge on his property were there.

He thought about Tobias.

Bird Perch | For Tobias

Ronan had promised Tobias a safe place to stay at The Barns and here it was fucking winter, snowing for fuck's sake, and he hadn't done anything more than make sure the upper level door was open. He needed to make sure it was dry and warm, not too much snow had gotten inside, and it was an obvious invitation to the kid. So he set to work fixing the doors with a smaller opening, a bird door for easy access, and dragging up fresh hay. He built a nesting box and filled it up. Then he dreamed an all weather wind proof lamp that would burn bright, but not set anything on fire, to hang on a hook outside the small entrance. And just because he was a nice guy he painted a small sign with Tobias's name and hung that above the opening.

When he finished he remembered just how hungry he was and headed back to the house.

Watch out for the Reincows

That's when he saw it. A trail of small foot prints. And then another trail of not so small foot prints. 

"Shit."

He hadn't given his dream much thought because usually when he dreamed something accidentally it was right there in his bedroom with him. Intentional dream things were where he put them in his dreams. And he hadn't been dreaming to create anything. He'd had control over his dream. At least, that's what he thought. But he followed the foot prints out across the property, tracking the lines and patterns where his dreams had gathered and split, before continuing on. Right towards town. 

The only good news: the Reincows couldn't get over the fence and there were only five. The bad news: the small army of Abominable, but adorable, snow men could squeeze right through, under, or even climb over. They were only as tall as ducks, furry like bears, but shaped like snow men. No carrots, not top hats. But they could play music

"Fuck." Ronan ran his hands over his shaved hair and laced them at the back of his head. And then he started laughing.

Merry Christmas?

It had been a few days since the world had shifted once again and a cityscape had become mountains in the distance and town right out of a movie. Driftcrest had snow, snow themed activities, and everything a snowed in town resort could possibly offer. The guys with the flamethrowers on the walls was a little creepy, but they weren't aiming fire at the citizens so Ronan had just watched them from a distance. Even weirder were the people freaking out about a curfew and warning against being outside after 8 p.m..

With all the crazy shit you'd think he'd get used to random things appearing that weren't right out of one of his dreams. But this was something he couldn't complain or worry about. in fact, he was so very fucking grateful to whoever had sent them to him.

One gift had turned out to be ALL of the letters Gansey had written to him after he'd moved back to Gotham. It was a different world, a different lifetime, but it was an experience that had given him the courage he'd need to kiss Gansey and tell him everything.

The other gift was a flower in a vase despite the flower never needing water or sunlight. A dream and a gift from someone very important to him. He'd thought he'd lost it forever and while Adam had promised to give him flowers even after he'd broken Adam's heart, Ronan had wanted this one. And here it was.

WTF Driftcrest Part 2

Ronan can be found anywhere around town so this is an open prompt and you can feel free to start a thread with cocoa, snow, ask him about the Abominable snow men playing questionable music he's trying to catch, find him in the mall, the hotel, but not the water park because he doesn't do water parks. He will need to buy some winter gear so there is clothes shopping and even gift shopping for the boys in his life. He can also be found standing around watching the walls and the guards. Good luck and have fun!

Comments

[affection_for_research]

After hiding his feelings for so long, it still felt strange to allow himself to kiss and touch Ronan. To see his eyes darken with something that Gansey had never thought Ronan would associate with him. He'd been called 'brother' so often that he'd never thought another role would be possible. Until now.

"I'm grateful that there hasn't been Night Horrors, but I didn't expect something this happy." He wanted to think that he might be partially responsible for that, but he didn't dare be that egotistical about Ronan's happiness. Squeezing Ronan's fingers, he marveled at the easy PDA between them. "Do they get the usual type of names or something more holiday-related?"

Walking beside Ronan, Gansey tried to imagine the snowmen. "I'm not letting you watch Christmas specials anymore."

[un_wir_greywaren]

"You haven't heard the music my minions are spreading so lovingly across Driftcrest. You might prefer the night terrors." Ronan teased, drinking more coffee and admiring the blanket of snow covering The Barns. "I'm in a good mood so maybe holiday-related. Snowdrift?"

This was nice. Something out of an old dream he once had back when sunshine warmed his face and they both laughed like there was no tomorrow. Or one of their all night video chats when he had hair and Gansey once laughed so hard his face turned a glorious shade of red. He rubbed his thumb over Gansey's fingers, brought them up to his lips.

"I missed you last night. Maybe tonight...light the fireplace...make some cocoa...watch something a little less scary than Christmas specials together."

[affection_for_research]

Music? Gansey gave Ronan a look of pure horror. "Did you unleash the Murder Squash song on Driftcrest?" He couldn't stop himself from imagining angry villagers with pitchforks trying to invade the Barns. All because of that God awful song. "They'll run us out of town somehow."

He wasn't sure if they could since they were stuck in a pocket dimension, but anyone who heard that song would consider it.

Memories of Gotham and Henrietta tangled together as they headed back to the house. Gansey stepped carefully because of snow and curious reincows that wanted to investigate everything around them and get attention from their dreamer. Flushing slightly despite the cold, he tried to resolve Gotham Ronan from the one that now held his hand. It was difficult since the more they were together the more Henrietta Ronan seemed to let go of the past.

"I'm sorry." He'd wanted to stay but insomnia and nervous energy made it impossible to be in one place. It'd taken hours for him to settle down enough to work on one of his miniatures. "Are you sure that we should? I don't want to make things awkward for Adam."

[un_wir_greywaren]

"A better song and, yes, they probably would if they could." Ronan already knew how to quiet the music, but he wasn't in a hurry to do anything about his little army. "Let them have some fun first."

He continued to kiss fingers, warming them up a bit.

"You don't ever have to apologize to me." He understood and knew where Gansey had gone, it wasn't personal. "Things are going to be awkward for a while, but I've already talked to Adam. There isn't anything more I can say. It's up to him now. And you."

But he didn't elaborate on that. Just kissed fingers.

[affection_for_research]

"I'm terrified of your idea of a 'better' song." Usually their differences in personality weren't a problem, but Ronan's taste in music offended everyone around him. The possibilities of what songs dreamed creatures might play would be worrisome... if Ronan wasn't kissing Gansey's fingers.

That was too distracted to allow him to dwell on Murder Squash or any other atrocious song that Ronan might love.

"Yes, I do. I should have stayed." Even if his nervous energy might have driven the both crazy. He should have at least attempted to stay with Ronan. "How did the talk go?" Probably terrible. Adam probably hated Gansey now. "I don't know what I could do to fix this."

At least not while Ronan kept distracting him, but he doubted that he could think of something even without Ronan's PDA and the wayward thoughts that it caused.

[un_wir_greywaren]

Ronan laughed. No one liked his music. Maybe Adam didn't mind it as much, but he doubted even Adam could handle an army of snow men playing the same song over and ago until he figured out the secret to quieting them.

"I know you can't always stay." Just like he knew there was nothing more he could do. He wasn't changing his mind and he wouldn't be told what to do or who to love. "There is nothing to fix. All you two have to do is talk. You didn't do anything wrong and neither did he. But this isn't about me. Just talk to him."

Ronan stopped walking, squeezed Gansey's fingers, held them to him chest.

"When you met Adam I hated him. I was jealous that you had found someone else. I also hated that I liked him. I hated everything except you. I was an asshole and you didn't change your mind about Adam and Adam didn't run away from my bullshit. You loved him then and you love him now. I told him how I feel. I also told him to talk to you. What happens between you two won't change how I feel. It won't change my mind." He kissed Gansey this time, cold lips and coffee breath, because he was absolutely certain of what he was saying and what he was doing. "I feel sad that I hurt him, but I don't feel guilty. And neither should you. I want to be with you."

[affection_for_research]

"I don't know if talking can fix this." It didn't seem like it could. Every time he tried to talk to Adam about something serious, they ended up fighting. His fingers tightened around Ronan's as he thought of the scene at the hospital. Of the terrible things he'd said. All of Gansey's things in one place and now he had what Adam had wanted most.

He almost pulled his hand away, but Ronan pressed it to his chest, stopping Gansey's motion.

Gansey was lucky that they had stopped since if they'd been walking, he probably would have tripped over his own feet. "I didn't find someone else," he protested. There had been no thoughts of replacing anyone. He loved Ronan, rough edges, grief and all. He'd never considered leaving Ronan or finding someone else less abrasive to be his friend. "Yes, I love him but that doesn't mean I love him."

The words felt like they were a lie, but he wasn't certain if they were or not. He'd spent so much of his energy alternating his attention between keeping Ronan whole and the quest that he'd shoved everything else into some dark corner of his heart so he could keep his attention on the most important matters.

Returning the kiss, he was tempted to deepen it or to step away. But he never really could move away from Ronan. He'd never been able to resist Ronan. He'd been able to lock his romantic feelings away, but not his love for him. "I should feel guilty. He should have your love."

[un_wir_greywaren]

"Maybe you're right. The two of you rarely ever say what you really mean to say to each other when it comes to real emotions." Ronan had to come up with a way to get them in the same room, get them talking, and defuse any sparks that might get in the way.

He was glad Gansey didn't hesitate to kiss him back and held his coffee off to the side so he could pull Gansey into him, letting go of his hand to wrap his arm around his back, holding him close. he pressed their foreheads together and watched him with warm affection.

"I do get a fucking say in all of this despite what you or Adam think. Adam knows where I stand and how I feel so let me make things clear here and now. I'm not choosing you over him, this isn't about loving him less or loving you more. I am here with you because I fell in love with you long before I met Adam and I fucked that up when I had a chance. And then I got a second chance to be with you, find out what I was missing, and I'm not losing you again." It hurt to say this next part, but it had to be said. "If you decide you can't be with me then I'll respect that, but don't do it because you think it will send be back to Adam where you think fate or destiny has decided I belong. He's not a second choice or a back-up lover I'm keeping tied to me just in case I fuck this up."

[affection_for_research]

"He's going to say that I stole you or that you're just one of my things." Of all the topics that they'd fought over, that had hurt Gansey the worst. He'd never thought of his friends as possessions. All he'd ever wanted to do is help them, protect them from the dangers in their lives, but those around him saw it as greed. "You're not one of my things. I've loved you almost since we met." That was one trait that he shared with the other version of Gansey.

Letting out a slow breath after the kiss, he tried to gather his thoughts, still the emotions that he should have been able to keep carefully controlled.

"You didn't fuck it up, Ronan. You were hurting. If we'd tried back then, it would have failed." At least that was what Gansey had told himself every time he'd wanted to offer Ronan the truth. "Can you imagine how much worse the fights would have been if we'd been dating?" They would have destroyed each other, tearing each other apart until they were both in shreds.

Resting his free hand on Ronan's lower back, he knew what he should say. What the right thing to do would be, but he'd never been able to resist Ronan. Morals and Ronan couldn't always coexist. He might be a homewrecker, but he couldn't stop himself even if he knew it was wrong. "I'm not leaving you. I don't think it'd be possible for me to leave." At least not while Gansey was alive. That might change after April. "I just wish there was a way to have this without anyone getting hurt."

[un_wir_greywaren]

"Yeah. But the making up would have set off fireworks." Ronan teased lightly, understanding the emotions and the truth of it. he knew he was a fucking disaster and that was the biggest reason he hadn't acted on his feelings. but he did regret not acting before, when things were bright and everything was happy. Maybe it would have made a difference for both of them, maybe it wouldn't have made any difference.

No. He would have destroyed Gansey and their relationship more than he had when they were just friends.

"Just promise me when you two do talk, be honest about your feelings, don't shut him out and don't let his hurt and anger make you say things you'll regret." If he could get them in the same room, make the same promise, then he had hope at the very least they would all still be friends in the end. He kissed Gansey's forehead. "I wish there was a way."