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]

"No need to be sorry." He presses the hand of Magnus' he holds between the two of his, then sets it free, in the event that Magnus needs it.

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad continues to wait. He no longer feels confidence in his ability to navigate this conversation with any particular skill, and he decides it's better for Lan Wangji, who understands what Magnus is feeling in a way Galahad can't, to be the one to speak.

[summerdude]

"Um," says Magnus, after an anxious, reflective pause. "Hanguang-jun? Can me and Galahad have a minute? Can we meet you back in the, um, back in the room in a minute?"

[lightbearinglord]

"Mn." Lan Wangji takes a little pause of his own, glancing to Galahad, whose face is blank and whose spine is unimpeachably straight. "Is that what you prefer, Galahad?"

[onthewillowsthere]

In some ways this is worse. He wants to stay with Lan Wangji, but he doesn't want to disappoint Magnus, and he doesn't want to lie, either. The pause is too long, dragging out uncomfortably; he has to answer.

"Hanguang-jun understands, and I don't," he says finally.

[summerdude]

"That's okay," Magnus says, immediately. "Please?"

[onthewillowsthere]

Please helps. Please suggests that Magnus needs something, and he trusts Galahad can give it. There's another too-long pause, but he nods. "Okay."

[lightbearinglord]

Upon Galahad's agreement, Lan Wangji nods, too, and he turns at once to go as requested. The mansion is mere steps away, and he won't mind sitting quietly in his study until his students return.

[summerdude]

Magnus immediately turns, pulling Galahad into a big bear hug, and buries his face against Galahad's shoulder, shaking.

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad instantly hugs him back, squeezing as tight as he can. He knows how to do this. He knows how to listen and be present; he's a good friend.

[summerdude]

"Dude," Magnus says, voice muffled by Galahad's shirt. "I need your help."

[onthewillowsthere]

"With what?" instantly ready.

[summerdude]

"I don't wanna wreck this. I don't wanna mess up."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Why would you mess up?"

[summerdude]

"I'm already messing it up. I broke the ink stick and freaked out and made everyone stop and then I upset you. I'm sorry, by the way. I didn't mean to. I'm not even, like, trying to act out. I respect Hanguang-jun."

[onthewillowsthere]

"You're not acting out. You're learning."

[summerdude]

"Am I?" Magnus lifts his head to look at Galahad. His eyes are wet, but he's not, like, actively crying or anything. "Cuz it kind of feels like I was just making a scene."

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad looks back at him steadily, meeting his eyes. "You broke the ink stick because you pressed too hard. Next time you will press lighter. Isn't that learning?"

[summerdude]

Magnus gives himself a shake. "Well, when you put it that way," he says, and sighs. "Teachers don't really like me. I think that's what Hanguang-jun was getting at. It's usually fine. I don't usually care."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Do you think Hanguang-jun doesn't like you?"

[summerdude]

"No, he does, he loves me. But he's never, like, been my teacher."

[onthewillowsthere]

"He loves teaching."

[summerdude]

"Yeah, but I've never been his student," says Magnus, whose knowledge of Lan Jingyi is largely lacking.

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad frowns slightly, that minute pulling together of his brows. He doesn't want to argue with Magnus and be wrong, but he has been learning from Lan Wangji for so many months, and Lan Wangji is always a patient and attentive teacher; he was gentle from the beginning, even the very beginning, when Galahad was someone else more capable of being sullen and contradictory. "You're wrong."

[summerdude]

"I am?"