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]

"Anyway," says Magnus, going over to check the falafel again. The oil is bubbling vigorously now, so probably they should be done imminently? "My point is I'm very wise. Also everyone who looks like we should be the same age thinks I'm old as dirt. 'Crumbly,' I think the going phrase is."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Cumbly, is it? Then I must be ancient."

[summerdude]

"Oh, probably," says Magnus, serenely. Is the oil spitting over the edges of the pot? Should it be doing that?

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot has no idea what it should be doing. He assumes Magnus has it under control.

"You do have your moments of wisdom," he allows.

[summerdude]

"Only moments? I'm wise all the time, asshole." It's a fond 'asshole,' almost like he knows for sure that this isn't actually Lancelot's name.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Ah, well, perhaps I am not wise enough to perceive it."

[summerdude]

"Probably not," says Magnus, brightly. The falafel is starting to look really weird? He grabs a chopstick and pokes at it; the oil hisses back.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"What's the matter?"

[summerdude]

"Dude. Heck if I know." He pokes at a falafel and it breaks apart. "Um, can you get a colander? A... strainer? Like for pasta?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Yes," he says, and starts rustling around to find one. It only takes a minute or so. "Here. But be careful."

[summerdude]

"Great!" Magnus knows exactly what to do. He (carefully) places it in the sink and (somewhat carefully?) dumps the entire pot of boiling oil and falafel into it.

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot winces -- it seems dangerous, and he's wishing now that they had the help of someone who knew more about cooking.

[summerdude]

"Aw, man," Magnus says, as he picks up one of the falafel and breaks it open. "Something went wrong." It looks like the wrong texture inside, greasy and mushy and not what he was hoping for.

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Hrm-- what should it be like?"

[summerdude]

"Crunchy outside. Soft middle." Magnus pokes another one; it break apart way too easily. "Aw, man."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"I'm sorry," sincerely. "I wonder what went wrong."

[summerdude]

"Tress would know," says Magnus, darkly. "Or Hanguang-jun. Or Laertes."

[lanselos_du_lac]

"Yes," simply, "Any of them might."

He sets a hand lightly on Magnus' shoulder. "I am sorry I wasn't more help. I know-- well. I know that things have been challenging, of late. I've appreciated your company, though, today included."

[summerdude]

Magnus whirls on him, dislodging his hand... not altogether on purpose. "Are you okay?" he asks, suspiciously. "Are you dying?"

[lanselos_du_lac]

"What? Of course I'm not dying."

[summerdude]

"You're suddenly being really nice." He can't do that, because things have been really hard lately, and Magnus doesn't want to sniffle about it!

[lanselos_du_lac]

Lancelot frowns slightly, "It's not sudden, Magnus. And this is a usual level of nice."

[summerdude]

Stop! Stop!!!! Magnus sniffles. "If you say so," he says, aiming for doubt and landing much more closer to this straw might break this camel's back.

[lanselos_du_lac]

He regards Magnus for a long moment, then pulls him into a hug.

[summerdude]

This is weird. This is weird!!!! This is not normal-nice. This is, like, turbo-nice, which is weird, even if Magnus has mostly given up the ruse that he thinks Lancelot's name is an insult and generally turned to him for, like, teaching and guidance or whatever. Also, you can't just be nice to a guy who's super overwhelmed; how is he supposed to fend off the feeling like that?

Magnus considers laying out all of his concerns with Lancelot hugging him. He opens his mouth, which quivers; he turns into the hug instead of away from it. What happens in Falafel Failure Club stays in Falafel Failure Club, right? They never have to talk about this again.