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]

"A potluck? Is that taking turns? I think that would be better, Laertes was rather spent at the end of all that cooking." He pauses, to let the rest of Magnus' words sink in. "Ah, yes, I do agree. There really is a satisfaction to making something oneself. I think the benefit of this place is that because it attends to our needs it gives us time to work out what we want, what we like. There's plenty of time to perfect a skill without the interference of having to survive. And then if course sometimes it's too much time, but generally-- what have you been making?"

[summerdude]

"A potluck is where everyone contributes part of the meal," Magnus says. "But I bet it might be easiest to have, like, a rotation of groups of maybe three or four people to make elements of a shared meal every few days? It would probably be easier if there's just a couple of dishes every time, too." He can deal with the second part of Sagramore's question in a minute -- what has he been making, lately? What counts?

[sagramore]

"I think a potluck would be an excellent idea, in that case. Perhaps if anyone wants lessons with cooking I can offer those. I'm already teaching Nina a bit."

[summerdude]

"I want to learn, too," Magnus says, immediately. "I've been learning a little from everyone I can but I would still only classify myself as an expert in camp cooking."

[sagramore]

"Well, in that case. I did win Laertes by making him a fried egg, so I suppose that dovetails nicely with your project of learning how to make love to Alex."

[summerdude]

"Hanguang-jun has been learning how to make Mexican food so he can teach me to make it for Alex," Magnus admits, blushing a little at the thought of the look on Alex's face, if she ever comes back here and gets to find out that he's learned it for her.

[sagramore]

"That is extraordinarily charming. Have we had Mexican food yet? Was there any at Wanderers Gather? I'm unfamiliar with the country."

[summerdude]

"I don't think there was anything from any of the Americas," Magnus says, trying to remember. "Mexico is the country directly south of the one I come from. Alex's family is from there. Great food. Lots of corn, lots of chiles. Have you ever heard of tamales?"

[sagramore]

"No, I don't know tamales. If I beg Laertes to try his hand at them, will I be usurping Lan Wangji? If he's learning to cook something special for you I don't want to steal any thunder."

[summerdude]

"Oh dude, I'm not gonna gatekeep Mexican food," Magnus says. "I can actually fill and tie tamales like a pro, too, so I can even help Laertes out with that part. I can't make the masa or the filling very well, and I'd probably screw up actually steaming them, but it's like folding dumplings. Give me something to stuff and wrap and I can do it for hours." Something occurs to him, and he grins. "Or maybe we could get Hanguang-jun in on it, too, and start practicing for round-robin potlucks."

[sagramore]

"I actually think this is a brilliant idea. Laertes needs more help and more rest -- perhaps you and I and his lordship can be students together."

[summerdude]

Whoa. Hanging out with two whole adult-shaped adults simultaneously? Magnus is so curious to see how they bounce off each other. Maybe he can kick Laertes under the table about it while they fold tamales. "I'm so in," he says, emphatically, and then, back to a part of the conversation he'd put a pin in, a few minutes ago: "Hey, maybe folding food can be my new thing that I make. That new guy started teaching me cooler ways to mend my clothes than how I did it when I was homeless, but I ran out of holes to fix. And I think I've given up on knitting, for now. Dro is way too interested in the yarn to try to get better at knitting more than, like, accidental loofahs."

[sagramore]

"The new guy is lovely. --listen, folding is important work. I'll talk to Lan Wangji." His eyes sparkle with the pleasure of a New Project.

[summerdude]

"Awesome," Magnus says, contentedly. He nods at Szarka. "Can I hold her?"

[sagramore]

"Certainly." She wriggles gleefully at the opportunity to be held by a new person, licking Magnus' face as she's passed into his arms.

[summerdude]

"Hi, baby girl," Magnus tells her, laughing at the sensation. "I'm your uncle Magnus. If you ever need help communicating with, uh," what does Mothwing call them? "Twolegs like your dads, I can translate for you. Or if you want to talk to any of the cats, bunnies, horses, or griffins around here." He's not actually sure if they can talk to each other or not. "Or squirrels! When you're a little older, I'm gonna teach you all about how the squirrels are off-limits, okay? No eating Uncle Magnus's daily soap opera."

[sagramore]

"She's a herder, not a hunter, fortunately, so I think she'll probably leave the squirrels alone. But if you could tell her not to annoy Mothwing, I'd appreciate it."

[summerdude]

"Hi, sweet Szarka," Magnus says, making eye contact with her. "Do you know what a 'cat' is?"

[sagramore]

She cocks her head in a manner that is, honestly, very reminiscent of the way Sagramore does it. Cat is new to her. So many things are new to her.

[summerdude]

"Cats are the other main kind of pet," Magnus explains. "They have long tails and whiskers and most of them have ears that always stick up. There's one here named Mothwing -- me and her are clanmates, okay? She's really nice, so be sure to be polite to her and not chase her or attack her or anything." Then he remembers Angus. "And there's another one named Angus. He's probably a little more playful, but you should ask first. And if you, uh, don't speak the same language, let me know and I can help you out, okay?"

[sagramore]

Szarka is definitely interested to meet these cats, which are probably another kind of dog?? But Magnus is nice and so she will try to be polite, even though her impulse control is quite bad.

[summerdude]

"I know it is, sweet girl, you're a little baby," Magnus says, soothingly. "Dro's is too. It's just, like, a fact of infancy I guess. Doing your best is all that I ask."

[sagramore]

"What's she saying?" Sagramore asks, openly curious. "Insisting it's her right to chase cats?"

[summerdude]

"She's saying she's excited to meet cats and is concerned that her impulse control isn't very good," Magnus laughs.

[sagramore]

"Well, she fits right into this family, then."