Me and My Best Friend Put On A Show That Would Make Freya Totally Jealous [closed post]

[summerdude]

Magnus wakes up, normal again except for how he's in an unfamiliar room. Not Galahad's old room, either. A nondescript one that, as far as he can tell, just has a bunch of clothes and stuff. Also he's wearing silky pajamas he'd never pick out automatically on his own?

It doesn't take long for him to feel like the walls are closing in on him. It's out of respect for Aornis that he stumbles out of her room through the door (barefoot and in the silky pajamas) and goes outside the normal way. Once outside, he flops into the snow, calling summer and feeling the way the snow steams against his skin as it melts.

He's not feeling totally regular again when he sits bolt upright, remembering that Drosera is probably in Galahad's old room with two people that aren't Magnus or Galahad. Existential crisis over, there's a child to retrieve! And hopefully, he'll run into Galahad in the halls.

Comments

[onthewillowsthere]

He leans gratefully. "I don't like him. He didn't ask about restoring me. He looked at me and felt I had been changed, and so he undid it."

[summerdude]

"Well, that's rude," Magnus says. He touches his pendant and then leans in and confides, in a whisper, "Jack hates him."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Why?"

[summerdude]

Magnus pulls away so that he can switch to sign - Jack may be quiescent now, but he doesn't need to risk it. He gave away his sword, he says. Jack has... trauma. Frey gave him away to woo some giantess. That's why he's fated to kill him.

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad nods. What do you think about him? Aziraphale.

[summerdude]

Magnus shrugs. I don't really know him. He thinks for a minute. I bet he and Njord would get along.

[onthewillowsthere]

He's not sure how to fingerspell Njord, so he tilts his head instead, a question.

[summerdude]

My grandfather, Magnus clarifies. Kinda oblivious and focused mostly on the stuff he cares about, but well-intentioned.

[onthewillowsthere]

Not paying attention to how other people are?

[summerdude]

Right. Magnus hesitates. Like, Njord saved us from Aegir, but he spent the entire time talking about how sexy his feet were and then told us we could hide out with his ex, the jotunn Skadi, when we got to Niflheim because she 'probably wouldn't kill us.' She hadn't, but by the time they'd got to her castle, it was more of an issue of risking maybe being killed by a jotunn versus definitely dying from the cold. Lots of... assuming things, I guess?

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad has been learning a lot more about the faces that are supposed to go with certain words in sign language, the way the mouth and eyes help clarify and intensify the meanings of things. Now, he pulls his lips back from his teeth in an expression that can only be described as a grimace¹.

¹😬

[summerdude]

"I'm sorry he acted without asking," Magnus says, and gestures down the hall. "Wanna go find our daughter?"

[onthewillowsthere]

Let's go.

[summerdude]

It makes the most sense to start where they last saw her, so they head the rest of the way to Galahad's old room. Magnus hesitates a moment before opening the door -- what if Aornis and Tress are still asleep or something? He knocks, and calls, "Hello?"

[sporesprouter]

By this point, it's just Tress and Drosera in the room. Tress easily knew enough to know that Drosera's parents would be coming for her as soon as they could, and she had absolutely no problem looking after the little princess until then. She looks up from her spot on the floor where she's dangling a ribbon over Drosera's head. "Come in!"

[onthewillowsthere]

When they enter, a little part of Galahad is pleased to realize she hasn't changed her hair (why would she?). Hello! he signs -- she's working on her sign, it's good to practice.

[summerdude]

"Oh good, you have her," Magnus says, and immediately kneels down. "Hi Hungry Baby, are you having a fun morning with auntie Tress?"

[sporesprouter]

Hello! she signs back readily. "I figured you'd come for her. We've been keeping ourselves entertained. It's good to see you both. Especially you, Galahad, for obvious reasons, I think."

[onthewillowsthere]

mama real mama real mama!!!!!!! Dro shrieks, flopping into Magnus' arms.

Galahad sits down on the floor near Tress and says, awkwardly, "I'm sorry for not-- for kissing him. Without being sure of who he was."

[summerdude]

Magnus scoots over to the side, giving Galahad and Tress space to talk. He leans down so that Drosera can groom his hair with her beak -- her latest trick. Quietly, he says, "I hear that auntie Nina caught you a fish yesterday, baby girl. Was it yummy?"

[sporesprouter]

"Oh. That." She shrugs. "Apology accepted. I mean... it's fine, I understand why you did it. I'm sorry it wasn't really him. I... the first time I kissed Charlie, it wasn't actually him, so I'm sorry that happened to you, too."

[onthewillowsthere]

His head tilts slightly. "What happened?"

yummy fish!!! little fish!! She preens his hair gleefully.

[summerdude]

Magnus's ears prick up: now that he knows more about Charlie, he's eager for more stories. He smooths a hand over Drosera's feathers absently.

[sporesprouter]

"It was when I went to rescue him from the Sorceress. She handed him over but it was just a... It was one of her minions that she enchanted to look like him."

[onthewillowsthere]

"To hurt you?" he asks, even though he can't imagine another reason.