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]

It's okay if it helps. Claudius needs something to do to help. That's why he's better now. But it's okay if it's not you. It doesn't have to be your quest. The curves of his hands swoop.

[summerdude]

It's always my quest.

[onthewillowsthere]

It doesn't have to be.

[summerdude]

Magnus's fingers feel thick and heavy. I don't understand.

[onthewillowsthere]

We can all work on this. You can stop. Shen Yuan will still come back.

[summerdude]

Magnus shakes his head -- not denying, just trying to process. "But I always--" he says, and stops when his voice breaks.

[onthewillowsthere]

It's okay. You don't have to.

[summerdude]

I should, Magnus starts, and then frowns and shakes his head. I always -- even when there isn't a prophecy. It's what I do. It's--

But on all those other quests, too, he had people. It was all on him, but it wasn't just on him. He turns to Galahad, wrapping his arms around his neck and burying his face in his shoulder.

[onthewillowsthere]

"It's okay." He pets Magnus' hair. Alex needs to cut it again. Magnus is a warm, summery lump against his chest, and what he makes Galahad think of the most right now is himself, the only person with all of God's rules to follow, not allowed to touch or be loved by anyone -- made for one purpose, a weapon, a cup, a useful object. He remembers how many years that was all there was.

"It's okay," he says again, snuggling Magnus in his arms.

[summerdude]

"I forgot," Magnus mumbles against Galahad's shoulder. He feels, weirdly, as if he's going to cry.

[onthewillowsthere]

"It's okay," Galahad says, for a third time, as he holds him close. It is okay. It makes sense if Magnus is overwhelmed.

[summerdude]

It takes Magnus a few minutes to get hold of himself, whereupon he groans, deeply. "Gods," he sighs. "Alex is going to call me such a dummy."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Why?"

[summerdude]

"Because I forgot," Magnus sighs. "And I got worked up about it and I didn't talk to either of you."

[onthewillowsthere]

He blinks. "You didn't tell Alex?"

[summerdude]

"I tell Alex everything," Magnus says. Well, not the training-with-Lancelot thing. "Basically. But not..."

He sighs and pulls back to rub his face. "I've been, like, leaning on him. Obviously. And he's been, like, taking care of me or whatever. But I didn't realize that I forgot, and so I haven't mentioned it. She's probably just been, like, waiting for it to occur or whatever." He blinks. "I guess that explains why she's been teasing me extra hard lately."

[onthewillowsthere]

"So you remember?"

[summerdude]

"That it's not all on me?"

[onthewillowsthere]

He nods.

[summerdude]

"I do now," Magnus grumbles, and squeezes Galahad tighter. "Thanks to you."

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad squeezes back, with all his mortal strength. "Your vibe is better now."

[summerdude]

"Yeah?" Magnus laughs, a little wetly. "What was it before, and what is it now?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"Two point five. It's a seven now."

[summerdude]

"I'll take it," Magnus says, releasing Galahad and flopping back onto the ground.

[onthewillowsthere]

"Will you take lessons from Lan Wangji with me?" When he'd asked before, Magnus had said yes, but it hadn't felt right, and Galahad wants very much for it to feel right.