Does This Count As Arts and Crafts? [closed]

[summerdude]

In the wake of Dark, Magnus takes a day or two to dig camp out from the snow drifts with Alex, then presents himself, finally, for lessons with Hanguang-jun.

They've been talking about it for a while, him and Hanguang-jun and Galahad — since Magnus first got weird about Galahad becoming Hanguang-jun's student. By now, he pretty much knows he's not going to stop feeling weird about stepping into a lesson with the two of them — even one totally unrelated to sword stuff — so he might as well rip off that proverbial bandaid.

He's a largely punctual guy, a trait recently intensified by Sunny's interest in making plans to hang out in one week and Magnus's role in keeping her calendar, but there is still a lot of snow to fight through to get to the Mansion's doors. He's a little breathless when he sweeps into the agreed-upon room, raking melting snow out of his hair with his fingers.

"What's up, my favorite comedians?"

Comments

[lightbearinglord]

"Mn." The incense has nearly burned down; Lan Wangji leaves it for now in favor of his attention remaining on Magnus, waiting to see if he will follow.

[summerdude]

"But--" That's so disruptive. You can't just walk out of class before it even really starts. "Lesson?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"We can return to it. Nothing will happen."

[lightbearinglord]

"It will wait. Come with us."

[summerdude]

"But--" Galahad's hand in his is warm, firm, and grounding. "Okay."

[onthewillowsthere]

Gently, Galahad tugs him to his feet and towards the door. There's a relief in knowing that this is what Magnus needs, that being drawn outside where he can feel closer to the wild world is as important as helping Claudius breathe.

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji follows a step behind. He closes the door once they have crossed the threshold, silent, trusting that Galahad knows what he is doing.

[summerdude]

Magnus follows, a little too quietly, feeling incredibly stupid. Class didn't even start and he already messed it all up. He's never been this awful as a student before.

[onthewillowsthere]

It doesn't take long before they're out in the crisp winter air. Galahad's ears are already cold. He lets go of Magnus' hand, but only to slide his arms around Magnus and slump his body against Galahad's own always-straight one.

[lightbearinglord]

The briskness of the air is refreshing. Lan Wangji stations himself just beside the pair of them, watching Magnus' breathing and feeling his own awareness of the circulation of that summer qi of his.

[summerdude]

The cold is a shock to Magnus's system and he stands, crumpled against Galahad's body, utterly stunned. It takes a moment, but he remembers to close his eyes and breathe.

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad holds him in companionable silence, fingerspelling the Tao against his back. The one gives birth to the two.

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji is content to stand and watch, to survey the steady way Galahad holds onto Magnus. It suffuses him with fondness for them both and for their friendship, which he knows has been such a vital guide for each of them. He feels it, too, when Magnus' breath starts to come back to him.

[summerdude]

Eventually -- after at least a good four or five minutes -- Magnus squirms. "That tickles," he tells Galahad, wiping his face.

[onthewillowsthere]

"That is the nature of the Tao," solemnly. "Is this better?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji loyally doesn't dispute the claim that the Tao tickles, and he is still silent, eyes on Magnus' face. He isn't certain whether he should feel responsible for this, but regardless, it is immaterial until Magnus' comfort is reasserted.

[summerdude]

"Yeah." Magnus's slump against Galahad is no longer a desperate thing -- it's just a guy leaning against his best friend in all the worlds. "I don't get what happened."

[onthewillowsthere]

"I don't know." He tries to consider the things that have prompted Magnus' panic attacks in the past. "Was it too much responsibility?"

[lightbearinglord]

Lan Wangji has some of his own theories, but it would be impolite to interrupt. He does, though, reach carefully for one of Magnus' hands with both of his own.

[summerdude]

"Responsibility?" quizzically. There's not exactly a ton of responsibility in, like, ink and stuff. "Nah."

[onthewillowsthere]

It takes an effort not to cast his glance towards Lan Wangji for help; Magnus is sincere, Galahad thinks, but what if it's another case of him not understanding his own feelings? Galahad doesn't want to guess. "What were you thinking when it happened?"