I Lived, Grinch! [open post]

[summerdude]

The first thing Magnus does -- with Alex's help -- after fully healing is board up the hole in the side of the greenhouse where the cheetah ran through. The second thing, once he learns the full scope of Dark (it's different at camp; he'd already taken out a ton of camp-appropriate food for when Galahad and Laertes couldn't make it out there, and so he and Alex have been fine on the eating front) is go to the greenhouse again to figure out what plants in there yield edible produce. (Also, he tries to scrub his blood off the table. It... partially works?)

Partly it's that he's still feeling weird after the whole affair. The season doesn't help, but he does feel closer to his own mortality than pretty much any point since he died for real the first time. Being around growing plants helps that. Mostly, though, it's because he doesn't want anyone to get, like, scurvy living on bushels of rice alone.

He doesn't want to overtax any of the plants, but some can be cajoled into fruiting. Right now, he's got his hand on a kumquat tree, and he's trying to convince it that it can speed up the growth process by a few weeks. Drosera is with him, 'helping:' she's found a dead leaf, and she's chasing it down the pathway between some plants. If anyone shows up -- either because they've heard of his near-death experience and want to check in on him, or just to hang out, or even because they're drawn by the way it looks like sunlight is coming from the greenhouse itself -- he'll be glad for the company.

Comments

[summerdude]

"You know, I'm not really sure? A sword fell, but it was a weird-ass situation."

[tallyyoungblood]

"Weird how? And where did it stab you?"

[summerdude]

He gestures to the spot on his flank. "The hall was the same over and over and there was a picture of the World Tree, and then suddenly I was in a museum with, like, an arms exhibit, and there was a ceiling fan that fell, which I ducked, and then the sword exhibit exploded, and I couldn't duck from that one fast enough. It sounds like a dream but it wasn't. And I was here the whole time. Somehow."

[tallyyoungblood]

"That is so completely and utterly bogus," Tally says with feeling. It gives her a horrible sensation in the pit of her stomach. "Other people saw your wound, right? It wasn't, like... an augmented reality thing?"

[summerdude]

"It sure felt like it," Magnus says, "But no. Lancelot had to pull the sword out of me because it was lodged in the ground and I couldn't move. Hanguang-jun has the sword now. He and Alex are trying to figure out how it happened."

[tallyyoungblood]

Tally blanches. "That's gruesome." Even Specials didn't generally do things like that. It's totally Rusty, totally war-like. "Maybe we have to try harder to get out of here. Or at least, like, get in contact with whoever is doing this to us. Because that is not, like, okay. It's not acceptable!"

[summerdude]

In truth, Magnus has decided to leave the speculating and investigating to others. He's told them what he knows, and now, quite honestly, he wants to be done with it all. He's fine now. He hopes it doesn't happen again. What else can he do?

But he should probably reassure her. After all, everyone else seems to think this wasn't just a quirk of the Mansion, and if they're right Tally is probably safe. "The others think it wasn't, like, one of the random events here. They think someone targeted me."

[tallyyoungblood]

Tally feels a little protective of Magnus. Everyone here is kind of in her clique, after all, and Tally wants to shield them from harm.

"It's just not fair. You're, like, totally nice and stuff. If someone's after you, they're an utter bogus dick." Tally doesn't want to defend the pretty regime, but this is exactly the kind of thing it defends against. Pretties aren't attacking each other with fans and swords and hallucinations.

[summerdude]

"I can't think of anyone I've pissed off here," Magnus shrugs, and then makes a face. "Well, I can, but I resolved all of that."

[tallyyoungblood]

"Me neither. Not that, like, I know that much about you-related gossip." She really doesn't. "It has to be someone operating in secret."

[summerdude]

Magnus makes another, different face. "You'll have to talk to Alex and Hanguang-jun and Galahad about it," he says. "I'm, uh. Letting them handle it?"

[tallyyoungblood]

"Totally understand. We can talk about something else, if you want. I do have some me-related gossip." Tally's flash tattoo speeds up at the thought.

[summerdude]

"Oh yeah?" Magnus asks, looking up from the kumquats.

[tallyyoungblood]

"I did kiss Gideon," she says, unable to keep from smiling. "Ethically and everything."

[summerdude]

A smile unfurls over Magnus's face. This is actually the best thing he's heard in weeks. "Holy shit," he says, and holds up a hand for a high five. "Up top, Tally."

[tallyyoungblood]

Tally grins and high fives him back. The excitement and approval on his face are almost as heady as the memory of the kisses. "She was totally cute about it."

[summerdude]

"Oh yeah?" Magnus waggles his eyebrows. "Cute how?"

[tallyyoungblood]

"She was trying to be all smooth, and she kind of was, but I could tell she was a little nervous. I mean, I was too. That's what makes it bubbly."

[summerdude]

"Gods," Magnus says, slumping back. "Yeah. The nervousness sure does make it bubb-- oh! Tally! Did you hear the good news?"

[tallyyoungblood]

"About what?"

[summerdude]

Magnus's smile widens. "Alex came back."

[tallyyoungblood]

"Your partner? Oh my gosh! That's amazing, Magnus-la. I mean, I hope she wants to be here?"

[summerdude]

"Yeah. She chose to come back." Magnus sighs happily. "Just had to figure out how to get here."

[tallyyoungblood]

"People can do that?" Tally's suddenly totally distracted from Magnus's happiness. Is Shay coming after her? Zane? David? Dr. Cable? "He wanted to be with you that badly?" She winces, hearing herself. "Um, sorry. It just seems like a big decision."

[summerdude]

Magnus shrugs, unconcerned. "We have been together for seven years," he says. "And -- she has other reasons, too. Personal ones." He's not going to share about Alex's mom without Alex's explicit say-so, but he knows that getting out of her reach was a major factor in Alex's decision.