New Plan, Step One: Provide For My Community [open]

[summerdude]

Magnus needs something to change, so when a Mansion calendar helpfully informs him that it's International Falafel Day back on Earth, he goes to the library for some cookbooks, and then to the kitchen.

He lays out ten different falafel recipes. He gathers the ingredients they list, as best as he can understand them. He has canned chickpeas and fresh chickpeas and dried chickpeas and chickpea flour and box mixes of falafel that say 'just add water!'

Cripes.

"I can do this," he says, peering at the assorted recipes intently for a good ten minutes, and then takes the dried chickpeas over to the sink to rinse and soak.

Comments

[onthewillowsthere]

Very little; very much. He and Susan have been visiting often to listen to music together, and talk about science, and pet her cat; he and Laertes are nearly finished with the signet ring. He is still training with Lan Wangji, and still spending time at the chapel Magnus made for him, although he rarely prays there now. He doesn't always say mass now. He still always says the hours. He and Claudius have sex. They have a great deal of sex.

"Dionysus painted my face," he says.

[summerdude]

"He what?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"And put glitter on me."

[summerdude]

Magnus blinks and stares. "Why?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"He said it was a celebration."

[summerdude]

"A face painting and glitter celebration??"

[onthewillowsthere]

"That's what he said." He pauses, trying to remember anything useful. "In the cafe. There were flags."

[summerdude]

"Flags? Like, Greek flags?" Could it be some kind of ancient Greek holiday?

[onthewillowsthere]

"There were lots of colors. Apollo was there."

[summerdude]

Magnus can't help it; he grimaces when Galahad mentions Apollo. "Ugh," he says, and then, "Too many colors for me?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"I told him I knew he was your dad," peacefully. He's almost done with his half of the chickpeas. "It was too many colors for you. Some of the flags had rainbows."

[summerdude]

Magnus rushes to catch up. "It was a... wait. The greek gods know about pride?"

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad gives him a Look. He can't think of a clarifying question that wouldn't be easier than just waiting for Magnus to explain, and, more than that, he wants to listen while Magnus just talks, the way they used to. What made Magnus so easy to be friends with in the beginning, when Galahad was like a clenched fist instead of a person, fingers biting into a palm, was that Magnus didn't expect him to say anything -- and Magnus never said anything he didn't mean. He is like Percival. He came upon Galahad and chose him, in spite of who he was, and he's never made Galahad guess what the truth is. Now that that feels less than certain, suddenly, Galahad wants more than anything to hear Magnus go on a long and half-incomprehensible explanation of what pride and rainbow flags have to do with each other.

[summerdude]

Sorry, Galahad! "Did Uncle D, like. Explain why he was putting glitter on you?"

[onthewillowsthere]

He shakes his head.

[summerdude]

"Okay. Well. Did you like it?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"Yes. I asked."

[summerdude]

"Good," says Magnus, a little awkwardly. He wants desperately to bridge the gap that he's sensing between them, but he doesn't know how. "And that's all you've been up to?" It seems enough for, like, one day spent apart, the way they were for months, but it's been... it's been over a week, now. Possibly two? Magnus has lost track of time since Shen Yuan died.

[onthewillowsthere]

It feels as if Magnus is slipping through his fingers.

"Susan has a cat," Galahad says.

[summerdude]

"Susan?" Magnus asks, blankly, before his mind supplies a face. "Oh. Susan-Susan? Your d--Lancelot's girlfriend?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"She's a scientist. Claudius likes her."

[summerdude]

"Oh." Magnus searches for something else to say, but all his mind is producing is, you hung out with the woman who clearly doesn't like me and not me? "Cool. Science!"

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad is quiet for a long moment. He finishes with his chickpeas and puts the bowl down. He likes finishing things.

"Magnus," he says, flatly. "Your vibe is still weird. Stop being weird."

His face is completely blank, and his heart is racing.

[summerdude]

Magnus looks over, and -- oh no, Galahad is upset. Galahad is concerned. Galahad is a little scared. Honestly, so is Magnus.

Magnus thinks about what Claudius said, about how Magnus gave Galahad a fun quest long after he thought he wouldn't get them anymore. Is he jealous of how close Claudius and Galahad are -- not like that, obviously, just in that Claudius does always get Galahad every day?

He thinks of Percy telling him that his power is his community. Which is a stupid memory to dredge up; obviously Magnus knows his strength is his community.

Galahad is, like, his no-romo person, or whatever. The most important friend he has. Before Shen Yuan died, Magnus would get freaked out about Galahad's mortality regularly. Is that what's going on? He doesn't know.

"I don't know what's happening," he says. The skin on his face feels hot, drawn tight around his eyes. He blinks rapidly. "I don't-- I--"

[onthewillowsthere]

"Talk," he orders.