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

[summerdude]

"About what?" It's not in a hedging way, not anymore. He genuinely wants to know what Galahad means.

[onthewillowsthere]

"What haven't you told me? It's not just that you're spending time with Luo Binghe. You're tired. You don't want to talk. Why not?"

[summerdude]

"It's not -- it's just -- Galahad, I'm so tired."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Why?"

[summerdude]

"Because," Magnus gestures loosely. "Because of everything? I -- back in Valhalla, the quests only lasted for, like, a week or two, tops."

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad waits. This is not nearly enough talking.

[summerdude]

"And this is... indefinite? I have augmented stamina but I don't have that much stamina."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Is it taking care of Shen Yuan's body?"

[summerdude]

Magnus considers this, slumping further against Galahad's side. "That's part of it, yeah. It's -- like, I'm used to a lot of responsibility, but that doesn't mean it isn't a lot of pressure."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Can I help?"

[summerdude]

Magnus blinks. "Can you -- what?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"Can I help? So the pressure isn't all on you."

[summerdude]

He blinks again. "Help how?" he asks, sounding -- honestly a little lost, and a little hopeful.

[onthewillowsthere]

"Claudius knows how to take care of plants. And I can come with you when you're with the body. So you're not alone. I can study the insects with Susan. I don't have to tell her where I found them. She wants to study them already."

[summerdude]

Magnus lies down then, so he can look up at the leaves swaying in the breeze and the clouds scuttling over the side. He takes Galahad's hand in his, tangling their fingers together, and tugs. "You can help," he breathes.

[onthewillowsthere]

"Yes," Galahad says. "Like with the falafel."

[summerdude]

Magnus closes his eyes for a long, long moment. "What have I told you about my quests? Before here."

[onthewillowsthere]

"You told me about the one where Alex almost got married."

[summerdude]

"Percy said my community was my strength," Magnus muses, opening his eyes again. He tugs Galahad's hand, inviting him to lie down next to him. "Annabeth's boyfriend. The one Apollo was a huge dick to."

[onthewillowsthere]

He lets himself be drawn down to the grass, still in his cat-patterned apron, and keeps listening.

[summerdude]

"It's like, it's always on me," Magnus continues. "Dad said I was the last thing standing in the way of Ragnarok. I was sent on all these quests to help keep it from starting. My friends helped. The gods could have helped but mostly didn't. I— I know— you help me all the time. But I know how they all fit into quests, back home. I didn't have to think about it. I knew what I could ask and expect, and what I shouldn't." He shifts a little, knocking his head lightly against Galahad's. "And they were always shorter. Before. The quests. Like I said. A lot of stress and action and then done. This is a lot of stress and not a lot of action and I don't know when it will be done."

[onthewillowsthere]

"And you're tired."

[summerdude]

"I'm so tired. And I don't know what I can ask. And we decided -- Nina and Luo Binghe and I -- that we should keep Shen Yuan's stuff under wraps at first, because we didn't know what was going on, but now we do and I don't even know what we can do to prepare for, like, whatever's going to happen with the person." He glances over at Galahad. "Shen Yuan doesn't want to go into the body until the, um, threat has been dealt with. Because he doesn't want her to be able to fuck with his memory, since he knows things now."

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad plucks a blade a grass and crinkles it between his fingers. "I think... you don't have to figure out what to do to prepare by yourself. We can talk to Claudius and Lan Wangji about it."

[summerdude]

Magnus blinks. "Huh."