[closed post -- a readiness of things]

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad has assumed a regular schedule of checking on Magnus -- the protein bars were dire, and Magnus deserves better food, to say nothing of the other pleasures of indoor life (changes of clothes, Ticket to Ride (the Europe version), updates from Claudius' Mansion gossip that seem like they're be interesting to Magnus and not so personal that Galahad would feel bad sharing them). He comes out to the woods daily now.

It's one of the coolest days they've had at the Mansion so far, and he has a long coat on over his clothes. Today's collection of needful things includes a book full of different waffle recipes, the spicy lamb Magnus conjured from the refrigerator on his first day, two bottles of Mountain Dew Code Red, and an assortment of jeweled barrettes that immediately made him think of Magnus' overlong hair.

Comments

[summerdude]

Magnus's nod to the changing weather is that he's wearing a hoodie -- more to make the people he encounters comfortable; he doesn't really need it -- and a pair of birks (no socks) that remind him of his mom's old house shoes. When Galahad shows up, he's on his new pile of lawn chair cushions, engrossed in a graphic novel, but he puts it aside when he hears Galahad approach and gets up to start a fire in the outdoor fireplace, which he's dragged to the edge of his favorite clearing. "Hey, dude," he calls, once the kindling has caught.

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad lifts a hand in greeting as he gets close. "How are you?" signing it as he says it.

[summerdude]

"I'm good," Magnus says, and signs. "I've decided today is a goof-off day."

[onthewillowsthere]

"What does that mean?"

[summerdude]

"It's, like," Magnus purses his lips. "A day of rest. Being unproductive and indulgent for fun. Skipping work or school or Battle Practice or thinking about the future and just hanging out."

[onthewillowsthere]

"Good," he says. "You should. I brought you food."

[summerdude]

"Food!" Magnus makes grabby-hands. This isn't a surprise -- Galahad has been bringing him food every day when he stops by -- but it's no less exciting. "C'mon, goof off with me."

[onthewillowsthere]

Galahad laughs, his serious default expression shifting into something lighter as he comes over to the fire with the messenger bag the Mansion provided for him, and sinks onto one of the lawn chair cushions to unpack it, starting with the lamb and Mountain Dew.

[summerdude]

"Ohhhhh my gods, dude," Magnus says, once he sees the lamb. He swipes a skewer and looks at it reverently. "Have I told you lately that you're my best friend and I love you?"

[onthewillowsthere]

He laughs again (it's very easy to laugh around Magnus) and moves closer to the fire, holding his hands nearer for the warmth.

[summerdude]

"Do you want more?" Magnus asks, meaning the fire. It comes out garbled; his mouth is already full of spicy lamb.

[onthewillowsthere]

A nod. He's actually colder than he first realized, especially now that he's sitting still, and his fingers ache a little with it.

[summerdude]

Magnus sticks the skewer in his mouth so that he has both hands, then leans over and tosses a more robust log onto the fire. He signs, How's your day going, Galahad?

[onthewillowsthere]

Learning medicine from Mothwing. (Mothwing has to be fingerspelled, as there is neither a good sign for moth nor for wing in ASL -- both signs require signing a different word and then clarifying how the thing you mean is different).

[summerdude]

Whoa. That's so cool. Teach me something? Magnus asks. He can heal people, but he doesn't know how to treat people.

[onthewillowsthere]

He also has his sketchbook in the bag, so he takes it out and flips open to the pages of herbs, which also means flipping past some sketches of Magnus.

[summerdude]

Magnus swallows his bite of lamb. "You're so good at that," he says, as Galahad flips past a sketch of Magnus himself covered in clay, and nods at the current page. "What does juniper do?"

[onthewillowsthere]

"She says it helps with breathing and coughs, and if it's mixed with ragwort can soothe aches."

[summerdude]

"Oooh, that's handy." Magnus pauses for another bite of lamb, so he signs, I'm terrible at helping sickness. Just injury. One of the perks of being an einherji, at least, is that he never gets physically sick anymore. Just injured.

[onthewillowsthere]

Different, Galahad signs back. Different things.

[summerdude]

Magnus nods. Galahad is right. He just wishes his healing skills were a little more useful. He distracts himself from the thought with another mouthful of spicy lamb.

[onthewillowsthere]

Three things for today, he signs, taking out the box he used for the barrettes. For your hair. Hold it back.

[summerdude]

Magnus wipes his fingers off on the hem of his shirt and takes the box, opening it and rummaging through it. The barrettes are extremely fun -- they're more colorful than he tends to go for, but they catch the light, and he's pretty sure they'd look nice on him. "Will you do my hair?" he asks. He's been keeping it brushed and free of sap, ever since Hanguang-jun, but he misses the feeling of someone else touching it.

[onthewillowsthere]

An immediate nod. He's pleased that this also grants him the choice of which barrettes to use, and he takes the box back from Magnus to he can choose the ones with the most pinks and greens. "Turn around."

[summerdude]

So Magnus turns, scooting a little closer to Galahad in the process. He grabs another lamb skewer once he's situated, and leans back.