If Alex Came Back We'd DEFINITELY Be The Local Power Couple [open post]

[summerdude]

Magnus has come to realize that nobody else in this entire place is presently in a relationship that has lasted nearly as long as his and Alex's. Shen Yuan's concept of "communication" "with" "Luo Binghe" is continuing to horrify him every time he thinks about it. What if there are other people who could use the advice of a sixteen-year-old twenty-five-year-old virgin who has been in a committed relationship for nearly seven years with someone to who he is probably widely known to have never verbally declared the undying depths of his love? (Gods, he hopes Alex figures out a way to do another little visit for their rapidly-approaching anniversary)

To that end, he posts an announcement sign over the welcome table, in the café, and on the door to the kitchen. It reads:

NEED RELATIONSHIP ADVICE OR FEEDBACK? Local Long-Term Relationship Expert Magnus Chase Offers His Aid.

He even lists office hours — an inoffensive parlor (meaning he can tolerate hanging out in it, and the door can close if people want privacy for their conversations) every other day for an hour, immediately following his Drosera hand-off to Galahad.

Comments

[sagramore]

"I suppose there are advantages to not having to amuse a child every moment of your day," blithely. "Do you think she's going to nature more like an eagle or a lion? Or something else entirely?"

[summerdude]

"I don't know a lot about lions or eagles," Magnus admits. "But I found some stuff on griffins in the library, and it seems like it's definitely a combination."

[sagramore]

"And you can speak to her, as you do with other animals?"

[summerdude]

"Yep! Mostly all she says at this point is 'hungry baby!' and 'mama play!' and stuff like that."

[sagramore]

He laughs. "Ah. She's a child indeed."

[summerdude]

"Her feathers are starting to come in!" He's proud as he says it, even though objectively he does recognize she looks extremely weird right now. "But yeah. She's super young. Luckily she's cat enough that Mothwing and even sometimes Angus can help out where the books fall short. I've tried asking some of the other birds here for advice, too, but mostly they freak out because she screams baby predator."

[sagramore]

"Yes, I suppose eagles don't engender a great deal of security in other birds." He has no idea, Magnus. He's just guessing. "I suppose she'll be able to fly, then, when she has all her feathers?"

[summerdude]

"That's the idea!" It's bright as he says it, but almost immediately Magnus sighs heavily, though. "I don't know how we're going to teach her to do that. If Alex was here--" he cuts himself off there.

[sagramore]

"I don't know that anyone teaches birds anything," reassuring. "I believe it's an instinct."

[summerdude]

"Or maybe we could ask the swords!" Magnus says, aiming for 'upbeat' and mostly hitting it.

[sagramore]

"Magnus," gentler. "She'll learn what she needs to learn. Are you all right?"

[summerdude]

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. Why?"

[sagramore]

"Because you sound like you're making a concerted effort to be cheerful, and it's not particularly convincing, mainly. I assume it's not all down to new motherhood."

[summerdude]

Sagramore really is unique among all adult-shaped adults that Magnus knows -- nobody else would call him out this directly! Magnus gives him an appreciative sort of look and, for a really brief and weird moment, has a particular pang of missing his mom. "Yeah, I'm fine," he says, a little more calmly. Why is he feeling weird, actually? He misses Alex, obviously, but he's been missing Alex pretty much this whole time. It's almost like he's going through another adjustment period to being here, but why? He really is fine!

Well, at least there's one obvious answer he can give. "It's just, like, winter, you know?"

[sagramore]

"Because you're a demigod of summer?"

[summerdude]

"Yeah! This is my, like, slow season."

[sagramore]

"Is there anything that helps you feel better? Other than going home and seeing your Alex, obviously."

[summerdude]

"Oh, I can never go home again," Magnus says; this is the most genuinely cheerful he's sounded in at least ten minutes (he's committed to his path, and thus accepted it). "I think I just gotta figure out a new, like, destiny or whatever. You know?"

[sagramore]

"Ah, a minuscule sort of undertaking, of course." Szarka whines and he picks her up, bouncing her gently in his arms.

[summerdude]

"Maybe 'calling' is a better word for it," Magnus muses. "There's so much free time here." There was a lot of free time at Valhalla, too, but at least being temporarily dead for a little while every day ate into it. "Can I pet her?"

[sagramore]

"You may absolutely pet her. And yes, the amount of free time does occasionally present a problem."

[summerdude]

"Sure beats dying, though," Magnus says, reaching for Szarka so that she can sniff his hand again and get used to his smell. Or, well, his recently-held-Drosera smell.

[sagramore]

This time she doesn't bark, though she sniffs eagerly. "Well, yes. Generally speaking. I just mean, if there's something I can do to help you feel less at loose ends, I'm more than happy. I'm always at some project or other."

[summerdude]

After a moment or two, Magnus moves to gently scritch behind Szarka's ears. "What projects do you have going on right now?"

[sagramore]

"Ah, well, right now it's mainly her. But Grantaire and I were thinking of working out how to distill alcohol, and -- this is still only in the idle thought stage, but there are so many people here I worry about. Laertes likes drawing people into his orbit, but it's not realistic for him to make supper for everyone here day after day. I think I've talked to at least one person about communal meals, and I keep coming back around to it, but it takes organizational skills, of which I have none."