I Deliberately Misinterpret The Nature Of An Agreement

[summerdude]

Galahad probably didn't expect Magnus to come pounding on his door in the middle of the day when they agreed Magnus would try sleeping on his own, especially since Magnus decided pretty quickly that he wanted to sleep outside again (but on purpose because he prefers it, not because it feels like the only option that doesn't end with the walls closing in on him). But here Magnus is, anyway, in the middle of the day, knocking loud enough that he has to force himself to take a step back so he doesn't break the door down.

"Dude, it's me, I need you," he calls, just so Galahad knows for sure it's him, or whatever. "You're in there, right? Galahad?"

Comments

[onthewillowsthere]

"Do you think it can come true here?"

[summerdude]

"I hope so." Secretly, this is the one thing left that has Magnus worrying he might get whisked back to Midgard or Valhalla.

[onthewillowsthere]

"If we can have visions here," he starts to say, and then doesn't finish. If they can have visions, then perhaps the force that separates this place from the rest of the world is thinner than they've thought, or thinner at times. After all, Alex came and left and came back.

[summerdude]

Magnus, reading between the lines, asks, "You think?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"Maybe."

[summerdude]

Magnus studies Galahad for a moment, and then nudges him. "Hey. Sorry I'm, like, Self-Involved Guy today."

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad blinks. "It's all right."

[summerdude]

Sure, Magnus can take this at face value. But still, that doesn't mean he has to keep being Self-Involved Guy. "What's up with you?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"Winter is hard." He looks down at his hands. "Sometimes I can't get up."

[summerdude]

Magnus takes one of Galahad's hands and threads their fingers together. "You mean, like, the winter blues?" he asks.

[onthewillowsthere]

"I always wake for morning prayer at Matins. At dawn. Between five and six," rubbing his watch band with his free hand. "But I can't get out of bed until later. I feel-- as if there are stones laid over my body. In the winter it's worse."

[summerdude]

"Ah, so like, depression plus the winter blues," Magnus nods. Instinctively - without even really thinking about it - he calls up some summer sunlight in the room.

[onthewillowsthere]

"Is that a name for despair?" He can feel the warmth as Magnus calls it, and he imagines himself like a snowdrop, rising from the ice towards it.

[summerdude]

"Probably? It's what we call that kind of thing when I come from."

[onthewillowsthere]

"How is it relieved?"

[summerdude]

"I only know about meds and therapy," Magnus says, apologetically. "And if it's winter specific, I think light sometimes helps? Kade would know more. I think he studied this kind of thing."

[onthewillowsthere]

"It's worse in winter because there's less light?" curiously.

[summerdude]

"That's what mom always said."

[onthewillowsthere]

He looks up, glancing around them at the electric lights that warm the room. "But this doesn't help."

[summerdude]

"Sunlight," he corrects. "I think there's, like, a spectrum thing."

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad frowns. Claudius has been sad, too, though he calls his melancholy. "Is there anything like the sun in your world?"

[summerdude]

"You mean, besides the actual sun?" Magnus brightens the light he called up, purposefully now. "I think there are special lamps? Hearth was obsessed with them. -- Elves need constant sunlight to survive. When he stayed with Blitzen in Nidavellir, Blitzen had to build him a full-on tanning bed, since dwarves are allergic to sunlight."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Do you think we could ask the house to make a light like that? I think it would help Claudius too."

[summerdude]

"Yeah, we could try!" Magnus says. "Alex could help, too; Blitz and her talk about crafting a lot and it's possible he told her more specifics than I have." He pauses. "And, like, even if we can't... it's not like you don't have direct access to sunlight."

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad leans against him in acknowledgement, squeezing his fingers. It might be nice to do something with Magnus and Alex. He's afraid of being unnecessary to Magnus now that Alex is here, but perhaps he won't be.