(Almost) Everything Is Comin' Up Chase [closed post]

[summerdude]

Magnus, triumphant, has finally managed to make some old bamboo sprout. With Drosera fed recently enough that she's not complaining of hunger and resting in her new favorite perch (lounging on his shoulder tucked right against his neck, her beak tangled in hair that is once again getting long), he sneaks it into the Mansion, hides it in a large gift-bag a closet gives him, and hangs it on Claudius and Galahad's doorknob with a quickly-jotted note that reads Claudius, What next? - MAGNUS CHASE.

Then, since he's already inside, he figures, why not wander around until he finds someone to talk to?

Comments

[summerdude]

"Yeah, I guess they tried to standardize things at some point," Magnus says, flushing a little under Galahad's focus. "So that every kid has the same base, or something? But they also wanted you to sit still at a desk for most of it, and I was extremely bad at that."

[onthewillowsthere]

He nods; Magnus does not seem like he would be good at sitting still. "Did you like any of it?"

[summerdude]

"I do really like learning! I wish I could have done more of it." Magnus shrugs. "The halls were too busy but I had a really great fourth-grade teacher. And my English teacher in eighth grade rocked."

[onthewillowsthere]

Another nod. It's a lot to absorb, even if he understands the basic shape of it. He still can't quite imagine what anyone would need to spend twelve years (more than twelve, perhaps, to judge by college) learning, even though Magnus has laid it all out. "If you could go again, what would you want to learn more of?"

[summerdude]

"Good question." Magnus scratches his head. "I guess PE would have been really useful for Battle Practice, but I already struggled with that cuz of my asthma, so... and Valhalla has opportunities for reading and learning Norse and poetry and stuff. Halfborn was able to get a doctorate in Germanic literature and everything, so I guess eventually I could have done something like that even without, like, traditional school. Maybe math? I've tried teaching myself math but I think that's the kind of thing you need someone else to explain to you first."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Why?"

[summerdude]

"Which part?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"Why more math?"

[summerdude]

"It's so useful," Magnus says. "When I still ran the Chase Space there was a lot of budgeting and stuff, so that's one reason, but also math is inside everything, I think. And it's something I never really focused on all that much because it didn't come as easy to me as, like, English class stuff. So if I went back I'd pay more attention."

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad is having the same confusion that Sagramore and Grantaire have shared, which is that to him the term mathematics mainly encompasses astronomy and astrology, with perhaps a little arithmetic and geometry on the side. On the other hand, astrology is inside everything seems like something Claudius would say. "You should put it on your poster. Something you would trade for."

[summerdude]

"I put geometry on there! Maybe I could add algebra, too?" Magnus laughs at his pun, and then explains, "Algebra II comes after geometry."

[onthewillowsthere]

"What is algebra?" laughing too.

[summerdude]

"Oh, it's another kind of math. Solve for X, that kind of thing."

[onthewillowsthere]

"There are too many kinds of math in your world."

[summerdude]

"Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, algebra two, precalculus, calculus, statistics, um, other stuff I didn't hear about because it wasn't offered at my school... I can, like, use the Pythagorean theorem, I guess."

[onthewillowsthere]

This time he laughs, sinking against Magnus' shoulder. "That's too many kinds."

[summerdude]

"Speaking of too many kinds," Magnus says, with a nod to the bestiality on Galahad's lap. "You know what I think would be so fun?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"What?"

[summerdude]

"If Alex ever comes back here," Magnus starts, and then stops, horrified at himself. He presses his lips together in a firm little line and juts his chin forward, obstinately, forcing himself to continue on. "Remember how we were talking about charades? We could call out different animals from this and see if she knows all the old-timey words for them. Like, what would she turn into if you said 'camelopard?' Or, like, even manticore."

[onthewillowsthere]

"When Alex comes back, we should. I'd like to learn more games."

[summerdude]

A deep breath, which he releases slowly. Then, fixing a grin on his face, he says, "Yeah, totally. Maybe we can even let Shen Yuan teach us his version of charades, too."

[onthewillowsthere]

He nestles up a little more solidly against Magnus' shoulder. He's not as warm and comforting a presence as Magnus is, but he still has a weight to him.

[summerdude]

Sorry, Drosera! Magnus twists around and pulls Galahad into a tight hug, heedless of their scolding infant.

[onthewillowsthere]

She definitely shrieks bad mama!!!! as she's jostled, but Galahad hugs back just as tightly.

[summerdude]

After a few minutes, Magnus makes a face at himself and tells himself to draw back. But he doesn't. In a tiny voice, instead, he asks, "What if I never see him again?"