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

[futaille]

"I can only speculate, in fairness, but I'm happy to as long as you understand that my speculation may not be accurate to any person in particular."

[summerdude]

"Oh yeah, of course."

[futaille]

"Let me think... One option, I suppose, is scheduling."

[summerdude]

"Scheduling???"

[futaille]

"Obviously that's less of a concern here, but it's possible."

[summerdude]

"No, I mean, like... what do you mean?"

[futaille]

"Say, for the sake of example, there are three people who are all reasonably compatible, fond of one another, and considering taking advantage of the opportunity but having trouble making a decision. The first person, as a rule, is available for social engagements on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. The second person is also available on Thursdays, but also Tuesdays and Fridays. Both of them are also occasionally available on the weekends. The third is available from Friday through Monday. Clearly they can maximize their opportunity for romantic liaisons by coming to a mutually satisfactory arrangement of splitting days."

[summerdude]

Magnus considers this carefully, mashing buttons all the while. "Okay," he says. "I can see how that one is less relevant here."

[futaille]

"Yes. Even if time weren't odd at times here, schedules aren't nearly as full."

[summerdude]

"Okay," Magnus nods, and then takes another moment to focus on his game. "What else?"

[futaille]

He thinks for a bit. "I am coming across a slight problem, as right now everything else I'm thinking of is just a restatement or a small part of my original answer, so I may be experiencing a woeful failure of imagination."

[summerdude]

"And, like," Magnus frowns. "Okay, I think my question is less, like, organizational and more -- you actually, like, like more than one person?"

[futaille]

"Oh, yes, of course. For different reasons, obviously, as they're very different people who delight different pieces of me, but... yes. I do."

[summerdude]

Magnus tries to picture this so hard that he nearly misses the start of multiball, when he curses and tries to focus. Eventually, when he's got the hang of it, he says, "Okay. I think that's what I can't wrap my head around."

[futaille]

He laughs good-naturedly at the multiball mishap but quiets to let Magnus regain his focus. When the question comes, he shrugs. "I don't know if you necessarily have to? You can be an understanding person towards people without fully understanding everything about them. You're very tuned to one person in that way. There are different ways to arriving at those sort of things, and different ones work better for different people. As long as you understand that, the rest is detail that you don't need to get tangled in if you'd rather not."

[summerdude]

He sighs dreamily. "I am really tuned to one person," he says, slamming the flapper. "I think I'm like Lan Wangji. He's only ever loved Wei Wuxian and I've only ever loved Alex. Did you hear that she's here now?" He twists, grinning at Grantaire, and loses his very first ball (one of the multiballs) that way.

[futaille]

He grins. "I'm happy for you. For both of you. Since you're tuned to one person, just remember that one single instrument played well can be just as beautiful as an entire orchestra. You're a soloist, and that's delightful."

[summerdude]

"What's that instrument that's, like, ten thousand instruments in one?"

[futaille]

"I have no idea, but I desperately want to see one now."

[summerdude]

"Whatever it is," Magnus says, barely refraining from losing his second of the multiballs, "That's Alex."

[futaille]

"Well then happily enjoy all ten thousand of those instruments."

[summerdude]

"You'll have to come and meet him sometime."

[futaille]

"That clearly goes without saying."

[summerdude]

"Ah, shit," as he loses another ball and is left with just one in play. (He's still technically on his first ball, though.)

[futaille]

Grantaire glances at the game again, a mixture of astonished and amused. "Unfortunate, but I don't think you have much to worry about. At this point, I'm just wondering if you'll manage the high score on the first ball or if it will take you two."