[When Tuuri had said the weird Swede was demanding a magic trick for proof, he hadn't been surprised. He'd heard stories about foreigners, even when he'd never imagined he would be going out and meeting one. Let alone a tankful of them... Back then, it hadn't been worth it at all. He didn't care about the boy giving him a smug look and dismissing him as some strange forest creature spinning stories.
This was the same boy. Lalli wouldn't have been surprised if he'd asked him again to show him a little magic, but...asking to learn about it -- about him -- hadn't...been something that would have occurred to Lalli as a possibility. Somehow. Even more unusual, he didn't feel the need to be an aloof asshole about it in response.]
Um. I was born with it.
[????? how do you tell nonbelievers about magic where do you start]
[It wouldn't be them if they didn't fall on their faces at least five times during this conversation.]
A lot of things. And not all mages are the same, that stupid annoying one can't do a lot of stuff I can do. [and vice versa shhh
...oh right, he's supposed to say what he can do now.] I don't know. It's... You know how everything has a spirit? We can...talk? With our magic because of the gods.
Yes, Reynir is different. ( In a lot of ways...he really doesn't like that guy, for instance. ) I know it's not all the same, just some things.
( He's not really educated on this topic enough to understand the difference between souls and ghosts and spirits and the like, but he nods along anyway because his brain parses the information at a very basic level.
Talk to spirits, Gods, magic. Sort of kind of what he sort of kind of knew already. ) How did you do that one thing. When we were on the train?
You did something...but I guess that's not really the magic part. ( Emil lays his head level with the small mattress, trying to be as comfortable as possible. He sort of got the idea of it all - that's why Lalli was part of coming with them into the old houses and all. The logistics of it are new, is all.
He thinks about the few times where there have been a cacophony of voices in his head thanks to the telepathy, but then with a more unsettling tone. Eesh. ) How often do you hear stuff like that? That's a lot, isn't it?
( He'd go insane if he had to hear that all the time. )
[He almost shrugs, but instead he shifts so he can be more comfortable as well. He's still uncomfortable-looking, but that's kind of a permanent feature... The topic of conversation doesn't help his natural awkward bearing.]
I guess. Some places are worse, but they're always there.
( The thought of creepy spirit grumbles constantly invading his brain makes his stomach squirm...let's change the subject. Yeah, Lalli's awkward and uncomfortable looking all the time, but Emil's still a gracious host. ) You can use the floor, if you want to lay down.
-- I know you don't sleep, but it's better than nothing. ( Well there's a BED but he's also aware of how Lalli feels about those by now. )
[But the change is a welcome one, and he uses the adjustment period to scan Emil's face. It...looks honest. Lalli was never good at telling these things, but Emil isn't shrugging the conversation off, or pretending to. It hangs there openly in his features.
Well, I'm going to bed. Have a good night, Lalli.
She'd said it so easily.]
...I'm okay.
[...He'd said it so easily.
I want to know about things like this. You didn't have to be alone and awake all the time.
( His head turns to look at Lalli at the question. Had he done something to make him think he wasn't alright? )
Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I'm more awake now. ( Sleeping after that conversation suddenly seems impossible, as low level as it was. No nightmares about trolls and shit, please. )
Are you okay? I don't mean just about laying down. ( He woke him up over being upset, after all. ) Are you still scared?
[How could he not be, after everything? With a sigh, he gives up on staying upright, flopping down beside Emil so he can look up at him. Be closer without making an obvious move to do so.]
...She was asking me about that stuff before she...did it. It was different, but it feels weird. That's all. [...] It's better than it was.
( Oh...he accidentally stepped on a landmine. Honestly Emil is surprised that Lalli isn't more upset if that's the case. The fact that he isn't...is a plus? )
Sorry! I didn't know. ( It flusters him since that feels like a fuck up, but he tries to save it. Quick, uh -- he doesn't know what to say next, his brain feels mushy. )
Do you, err, want to talk about anything in particular? Or...do anything? It must be dull to just stare at the ceiling all night. ( He can avoid sleeping for a little bit. )
[He hums vaguely while reaching up to cover Emil's mouth. Shhh, too much blabbering.]
You're fine.
[He'd said so himself! Since he was the one here and the one Lalli could still do something for... Yeah. That's more important.]
...I wanted to be near you. You don't need to do anything. You already made me feel better. [As for how boring things are...] You can sleep, if you want. I'll just wake you up again if I get bored.
Emil blinks at Lalli for a moment. He'd had a few worries in the past -- not exactly complicated worries. It wasn't like he ever thought about how Lalli felt about him very deeply. He assumed they were friends, and lo and behold they were. Lalli had some eccentric moments that made Emil wonder what was going on with him, but they were situational, not a criticism of the bigger picture.
Actually talking about this -- he realizes maybe that friendship wasn't so certain at all times. He'd felt stung by it, but thinking right now...Lalli feels content somehow by being near him. Maybe he should have been the one scared before, but now it feels like he definitely doesn't have to be.
It makes him feel good. It makes him feel happy that he can do that for his friend. It makes him feel that caring about and worrying for him has paid off.
He smiles slightly at Lalli and stands up. It might be a while before he sleeps, but for now a bed is better than making his shoulders sore. ) I'll lay down, then. Good night, Lalli.
( He steps up onto the bed and lays down quickly, getting back under his blanket. The uneasiness of the previous conversations and a few other weights feel a little less present in his chest. )
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no subject
...I...guess?
[When Tuuri had said the weird Swede was demanding a magic trick for proof, he hadn't been surprised. He'd heard stories about foreigners, even when he'd never imagined he would be going out and meeting one. Let alone a tankful of them... Back then, it hadn't been worth it at all. He didn't care about the boy giving him a smug look and dismissing him as some strange forest creature spinning stories.
This was the same boy. Lalli wouldn't have been surprised if he'd asked him again to show him a little magic, but...asking to learn about it -- about him -- hadn't...been something that would have occurred to Lalli as a possibility. Somehow. Even more unusual, he didn't feel the need to be an aloof asshole about it in response.]
Um. I was born with it.
[????? how do you tell nonbelievers about magic where do you start]
no subject
...I figured that much. I know some things about mages. I mean more like...what all can you do?
( Maybe asking about it like the entitled snot he used to be will work better??? )
no subject
A lot of things. And not all mages are the same, that stupid annoying one can't do a lot of stuff I can do. [and vice versa shhh
...oh right, he's supposed to say what he can do now.] I don't know. It's... You know how everything has a spirit? We can...talk? With our magic because of the gods.
no subject
( He's not really educated on this topic enough to understand the difference between souls and ghosts and spirits and the like, but he nods along anyway because his brain parses the information at a very basic level.
Talk to spirits, Gods, magic. Sort of kind of what he sort of kind of knew already. ) How did you do that one thing. When we were on the train?
no subject
What one thing?
no subject
( Did he just forget his crowning moment of glory...Emil looks at him with a puzzled expression, THIS IS HARDER THAN HE THOUGHT. )
no subject
I heard it. A big group of...voices kept getting closer and closer, and they were...
[...He doesn't need to know all of it.]
It got close enough that I could feel it and I knew where it would be. I didn't do anything.
no subject
You did something...but I guess that's not really the magic part. ( Emil lays his head level with the small mattress, trying to be as comfortable as possible. He sort of got the idea of it all - that's why Lalli was part of coming with them into the old houses and all. The logistics of it are new, is all.
He thinks about the few times where there have been a cacophony of voices in his head thanks to the telepathy, but then with a more unsettling tone. Eesh. ) How often do you hear stuff like that? That's a lot, isn't it?
( He'd go insane if he had to hear that all the time. )
no subject
I guess. Some places are worse, but they're always there.
no subject
( The thought of creepy spirit grumbles constantly invading his brain makes his stomach squirm...let's change the subject. Yeah, Lalli's awkward and uncomfortable looking all the time, but Emil's still a gracious host. ) You can use the floor, if you want to lay down.
-- I know you don't sleep, but it's better than nothing. ( Well there's a BED but he's also aware of how Lalli feels about those by now. )
no subject
I'm used to it.
[But the change is a welcome one, and he uses the adjustment period to scan Emil's face. It...looks honest. Lalli was never good at telling these things, but Emil isn't shrugging the conversation off, or pretending to. It hangs there openly in his features.
Well, I'm going to bed. Have a good night, Lalli.
She'd said it so easily.]
...I'm okay.
[...He'd said it so easily.
I want to know about things like this. You didn't have to be alone and awake all the time.
...]
Emil. Are you okay?
no subject
Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I'm more awake now. ( Sleeping after that conversation suddenly seems impossible, as low level as it was. No nightmares about trolls and shit, please. )
Are you okay? I don't mean just about laying down. ( He woke him up over being upset, after all. ) Are you still scared?
no subject
I don't know. Yes.
[How could he not be, after everything? With a sigh, he gives up on staying upright, flopping down beside Emil so he can look up at him. Be closer without making an obvious move to do so.]
...She was asking me about that stuff before she...did it. It was different, but it feels weird. That's all. [...] It's better than it was.
no subject
Sorry! I didn't know. ( It flusters him since that feels like a fuck up, but he tries to save it. Quick, uh -- he doesn't know what to say next, his brain feels mushy. )
Do you, err, want to talk about anything in particular? Or...do anything? It must be dull to just stare at the ceiling all night. ( He can avoid sleeping for a little bit. )
no subject
You're fine.
[He'd said so himself! Since he was the one here and the one Lalli could still do something for... Yeah. That's more important.]
...I wanted to be near you. You don't need to do anything. You already made me feel better. [As for how boring things are...] You can sleep, if you want. I'll just wake you up again if I get bored.
[hey aren't you so glad you're friends again]
no subject
Emil blinks at Lalli for a moment. He'd had a few worries in the past -- not exactly complicated worries. It wasn't like he ever thought about how Lalli felt about him very deeply. He assumed they were friends, and lo and behold they were. Lalli had some eccentric moments that made Emil wonder what was going on with him, but they were situational, not a criticism of the bigger picture.
Actually talking about this -- he realizes maybe that friendship wasn't so certain at all times. He'd felt stung by it, but thinking right now...Lalli feels content somehow by being near him. Maybe he should have been the one scared before, but now it feels like he definitely doesn't have to be.
It makes him feel good. It makes him feel happy that he can do that for his friend. It makes him feel that caring about and worrying for him has paid off.
He smiles slightly at Lalli and stands up. It might be a while before he sleeps, but for now a bed is better than making his shoulders sore. ) I'll lay down, then. Good night, Lalli.
( He steps up onto the bed and lays down quickly, getting back under his blanket. The uneasiness of the previous conversations and a few other weights feel a little less present in his chest. )