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]

Since it sounds like they're surgical, Magnus doesn't even know if his healing will work on them. He thinks about pointing out that he did just tell her about keeping Amir's brain from breaking, but this is a no so he's gonna respect i---

Wait. Did he mention the thing about Amir's brain? Like, out loud? It's useful information. "Alex says I'm the one who stopped Amir's brain from breaking when he saw the Bifrost," he says, for clarification. "And I wouldn't force anything. But I take your point. It's not like I could, like, stab myself in the skull to test-drive this one."

[tallyyoungblood]

"Wow, you're practically a neurosurgeon. But yeah, I..." Tally trails off. "I guess I kind of don't want people doing anything up there? I'm not sure I really want people messing with my body any more." It's a weird thought, given that Tally longed for the operation her whole life, but now that she's had it, the thought of anything like it happening again feels totally bogus.

[summerdude]

"Super legit. Just know the offer is there."

[tallyyoungblood]

"You're really nice, Magnus-la."

[summerdude]

Magnus laughs. "I'm alright," he says. "I -- Tally, can you keep a secret?"

[tallyyoungblood]

This offer of intimate information, of friendship, makes Tally feel as bright as the kumquat tastes. "Oh, you have no idea. I might be too good at keeping secrets. So, um, yes."

[summerdude]

"You absolutely cannot tell Lan Wangji. Or Sagramore. Or, um, I should tell Alex myself," Magnus says. "It's about how I know I could have fixed your hand."

[tallyyoungblood]

Tally snorts. "I'm not telling Lan Wangji anything. I may as well just go tattle to the minders. I won't tell anyone, though."

[summerdude]

Magnus blinks, distracted. "What do you mean?"

[tallyyoungblood]

"He's just, like... such a crumbly. You know, he's like a parent. He's nice and all, but not someone you tell about your crim tricks."

[summerdude]

"Really?" Magnus asks, surprised. "I mean, yeah, he's like a parent, kind of, but that's why I tell him things."

[tallyyoungblood]

"I never tell my parents anything. They'd never understand. When Dr. Cable delayed my pretty operation because I wouldn't snitch on Shay, they told me to just betray her." Tally's chest feels tight at the memory. "Not that I think Lan Wangji would do that, but... I don't know."

[summerdude]

"Oh, Tally, that sucks," Magnus says, making an apologetic face. "Hanguang-jun feels like a better dad than my actual dad to me. ...Don't tell anyone I said that. That's not the secret, but, um, don't. But like, he's really nice to talk to if you do ever feel like it. He's a really good listener and really comforting and stuff."

[tallyyoungblood]

"It's bubbly that he's nice to you," Tally says, fighting to get her emotions under control. "I think I'm just... too different from him. But what was the secret? Don't leave me hanging!"

[summerdude]

"It takes a few conversations to get to know him," Magnus says. Why is he harping on this? Tally clearly doesn't want to talk about it. "I thought he was a god at first. And Shen Yuan's dad. I yelled at him for being another neglectful godly parent. And then we got close." He pauses, then makes another face. "Oh, right. The secret is that me and Galahad cut off my toe so I could see if I could fix it. It was actually pretty easy?" In retrospect, he's extra-glad he did it -- he wasn't totally unused to pain when that sword got him.

[tallyyoungblood]

"Whoa!" Tally exclaims. She looks over Magnus with fresh eyes. "That's totally crim. I love it. Not that I hope any of us have to cut our limbs off again, but that's so bubbly. I definitely won't tell anyone. Wait, can I tell Gideon? She'd think it was so cool."

[summerdude]

That's a hard one. Magnus finds he really wants Gideon to think he's cool. But he hesitates. "How about we hold off on that?" he says. "I still have to tell my girlfriend. Maybe by the time you guys come to camp we can tell her then?"

[tallyyoungblood]

"Sure, totally." Tally isn't too broken up about this. It's not the kind of secret Gideon would be mad she kept. Besides, Gideon is definitely good at keeping her own secrets. "Do you think Alex will be impressed?"

[summerdude]

"She'll probably be furious," Magnus says, peaceably.

[tallyyoungblood]

"Maybe, but she loves you, so it's fine."

[summerdude]

"Yeah," Magnus agrees. "Also she's, like, um." He pauses. He doesn't know if he and Tally are at the right level of friendship yet for him to finish that particular sentence with really hot when she's mad.

[tallyyoungblood]

Tally giggles. "Alright, coupley-wa."

[summerdude]

"Coupley-wa?"

[tallyyoungblood]

"You know. You're being all gooey about him."

[summerdude]

Magnus kind of thought he was being horny about Alex, but he'll definitely take gooey. "Coupley-wa," he says again, trying out the sound of it in his mouth.