i make another inbox post

[illequipped]

now it's for a gentle night

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lalli is so fucking gay: the thread

[ilves]

[This whole festival thing is, mmm, nice, but farming? Bah. Lalli tried it; he even learned (most of) the proper steps, thanks to Loren, but he'd much rather leave all of that mess to the people who seem to actually enjoy it. He's certain that Emil feels the same way! For different reasons, of course—like, Emil probably just hates getting dirty—but... well, when Lalli has a petty opinion about something, Emil is usually right there with him.

Individual reasoning aside, though, it's just a simple fact the time spent sweating in a field could always be put to better use. Their last Craft lesson was some time ago now, after all, and while Emil was very proud of the one (1) spell he learned—ah, there's so much more to teach? So much more for Emil's empathetic, entirely too open brain to learn, which is why Lalli forgoes lunch in order to search for this magically inept Swede. It doesn't take him long at all, thanks to that nifty mental link of theirs, but wherever Emil is, whatever Emil's doing, when Lalli spots him from some distance away—ah?

...Ah. It's a good thing that Lalli has, like, a few seconds to compose himself, but that doesn't stop him from giving his friend a strange look when he finally approaches. This is indeed his favorite boy, and yet:]

You look... weird.

[Hello, but also: Emil, your HAIR! Your beautiful golden HAIR!]

a new experience for lalli

[illequipped]

[Farming is awful, Emil has decided. An intimidating old man bullied him about doing magic? He's past all this, emotionally, spiritually, you name it. But he's also been glared at if not outright threatened every time he tries to sneak off or not show up at all, so he is... still here.

Digging. Putting seeds in the ground. Digging more. Right now he's elected to take a water break, which may be his third in an hour, but the young landen passing out water in this area just rolls her eyes and moves on from him instead of lecturing him, mercifully.

So, here he is: tired (ugh), sweaty (worse), considering his chances if he tries to escape Farmville one last time... but oh! Lalli is here!! And immediately saying he looks weird, wow, okay.]

What? [What did he— oh. He reaches up to touch his hair, like, maybe he looks weird because he's never really tied his hair back before and he could have done it crooked? Perhaps?] I'm warm. And it was getting in my eyes.

[So There]

spring awakening 2

[ilves]

[Sure, Emil. Keep thinking that Lalli is eyeing that updo because it's crooked; after all, it's not like Lalli can explain why this new look is, um, throwing him off. He's not the type to notice such things? He's especially not the type to care about such things, and yet there's just... something about it...

Well! It's something to think about later, perhaps, but for now—Craft. Craft, Craft, Craft, which is somehow so much easier for him to understand than all of... this.]

...Aha.

[He tears his eyes away from that (sad?) hair, offering up a weak little shrug as he shoves these weird thoughts right out of his mind. Emil can wear his hair however he likes; it's not like it affects him, so hey, look at how little he cares! Yeah!]

Why are you here? It's warm and boring. [And dirty, but whatever.] Come back with me.

[...Should he offer his hand? After a second's worth of consideration, he will indeed offer his hand.]

the sequel nobody needed

[illequipped]

[He's here because of guilt... how many children-to-preteen landens have to look at him imploringly before he feels obligated to dig anther hole? It barely takes one. He's so weak to babies.]

Oh— well yes, but I'm sort of on the clock...

[Orrr something like that. Still, it barely takes him a second before he looks over his shoulder to see if that landen girl is coming back around- mercifully, she is not- and that more or less makes his mind up for him. He finishes what's left of his water and reaches out to take Lalli's hand. It took no effort at all.

He's just extra weak to Lalli, that's all. Fatal flaw: best friend. Please, spirit him away before someone catches him abandoning his shovel.]

How come no one is following you around, making you dig holes?

[ilves]

[Stupid Emil! This isn't a real job, which is why Lalli sees absolutely nothing wrong about gripping that hand and tugging his friend away from all of this hustle and bustle. Will any landens stop them? No, because Lalli a) avoids any and all eye contact with strangers on principle and b) is very, very good at quickly weaving through large crowds of people. Suck it, losers.]

Someone did, but only for the first day. Then they left me alone.

[Because he... was terrible. And quiet. And, you know, weird, but like Lalli cares; he's just happy that he doesn't have to sit in a field and listen to people sing the Queen's strange song over and over again.

Anyway, as Lalli pulls Emil down an alleyway that he's probably-definitely going to hate—]

You should have told them to leave you alone.

[illequipped]

[Oop, there they go. Emil looks over his shoulder one last time before the whole of his attention goes back to Lalli; yes yes, he's here, please do not pull his arm out of its socket zooming through crowds like this. They're not being chased.]

Hmm, I guess. They needed help, though.

[They still do, but he's been thoroughly dragged away to a gross alleyway that his empathy sensor can calm down for ten minutes. Now then, ew—]

Why are we going this way?

[ilves]

[Lalli isn't the least bit surprised to hear that Emil's empathy once again landed him in a real mess, but—ah, this stupid boy! This beautiful idiot. Of course that question earns him a mild Look.]

It's faster.

[And it really, truly is? Just skirt around some garbage with him, Emil... leap over these gross, green (why?) puddles, because after a few more twists and turns—voilà! They're back on one of the main roads, and clearly much closer to home than they would be if they'd stuck to the traditional route. Now they can slow down a bit, both because Emil probably needs a short breather and because Lalli has to look smug for all of, like, three seconds.]

See?

[Praise Him. Love Him. ...And follow him back to the Queen's residence.]

[illequipped]

[This is the worst shorcut Lalli has ever dragged him down, ever, in history. He grumbles and complains about at least seventy percent of it, looking grim and exhausted after having to jump over so many puddles when they're finally through. That kind of spoils the wonder of suddenly knowing where he is again, but-]

...Oh. I don't know how you remember all of these paths.

[Impressed level: above average. Give him a minute to Breathe, then he can move again. This jumping diversion has made him really appreciate being, yet again, sweaty and gross, so the first thing he says when they get back is:]

I need to not be in these filthy clothes.

[Stop him before he spends all afternoon primping and not doing magic.]

[ilves]

[He remembers them all because he's a very, very good scout! The best, actually, so if he looks a tad smug as he leads Emil back to their room... well, surely it's fine. He did save Emil from an afternoon spent digging in the dirt.

Anyway, boy, those clothes... are fine? Like, Lalli casts a quick look back over his shoulder as he heads to the bed, just to double-check the state of things, before he says:]

...They're not that dirty. [In Lalli's opinion, anyway.] You don't need to change? Not for Craft.

[Because that's totally what this is about, dummy! Join him on the bed, which he drops down on just like he did last time. This is clearly The Spot to learn, so just don't, uh... don't worry about all of the dirt that may or may not wind up on the sheets...]

i'm back with something even gayer

[ilves]

[You know, it's not that Lalli didn't know where, exactly, he was going for this job of his? It's not that Lalli didn't realize how far away he and Guts would be from the city itself? But while Lalli was scanning maps and planning routes, he never stopped to wonder if physical distance might have any sort of effect on the mental link he shares with Emil; in fact, it's not until he's well outside the city limits, picking his way through the countryside, that he realizes that the mental link is draining way more magic than usual. It's nothing alarming! It's nothing he can't handle, he thinks, but the farther he goes, the heavier the magical drain.

...Ah. Well. He doesn't want to sever the link, but he's a professional - he knows that he needs his magic for what may or may not come, which is why he shoots Emil a quick status report—Too far away. I'll find you when I get back.—and ends their mental connection. First thought: It's so... quiet. Too quiet, after spending weeks connected to his overly excitable best friend, but both that and that weird pang of... something he feels will have to be examined after everything here is over and done with. Job first; personal concerns second.

And at least the job is easy enough? Not smooth, thanks to Guts' need to beat up some mercenaries along the way, but Lalli is able to steer them clear of most trouble. He's even able to enjoy being out in his element, enjoy scouting ahead and familiarizing himself with this new terrain, and yet... mmph. By the time their task is completed, he's not that annoyed by the prospect of heading back to the city; in fact, there's a part of him that's eager to head back, because things have been too quiet for far too long.

So when the day is done and he's once again within Draega's walls, of course the first thing he does is reach back out to one incredibly familiar mind.]

Emil.

[His name! That's it! Lalli sucks!! But there's... something to be found there, if Emil squints. A mild anxiousness? Maybe? No, definitely, and it's followed up by a wave of what is clearly exhaustion; it's radiating off Lalli so strongly he couldn't hide it even if he tried. He's tired, but he kind-of-sort-of missed a boy... please talk to him...]

highly blessed content

[illequipped]

[On Emil's end, it's an odd feeling, the further Lalli gets. This particular magic goes both ways, so he too can feel the additional strain of keeping it going, but he doesn't need to do anything else with magic— even so, he understands when Lalli suddenly informs him he has to go and cuts him off. He doesn't like it, but he gets the point.

Still, the silence is... uncomfortable. Not even the silence, just the simple lack of being aware of Lalli is weird after so long, and Emil spends the day between restless and irritable as he goes about his business. He doesn't even have anyone to complain about strangers to while he's out! This is the worst day ever! What is he supposed to do with himself, talk to other people? Ugh!

So when the nudge of Lalli's mind against his comes back, it's an instant relief. He didn't worry, not really; sure, this is a strange new world and venturing outside cities is never a good idea, but he knows Lalli can take care of himself. It's the familiar feeling that's a weight lifted off his shoulders; finally! Never leave him for an afternoon again.]

Lalli! You're back? Where are you?

[Actually, that doesn't matter as much as the feeling of pure Tired he's getting all the way from here... boy... Emil's simple delight at his return is going to get muddled up in all of this sleepy boy nonsense. Hmm.]

I'll meet you back at the room?

[ilves]

[It's not that Lalli was worried that Emil would land in a mess of trouble the moment their mental link disappeared; Lalli just, you know, grew accustomed to things being a certain way, and when he had to shake things up... well, he didn't necessarily appreciate it. He strongly disliked it. That, however, was then, and this—Emil's voice in his mind, Emil's dumb emotions spilling over—is now. What a relief! What an... odd sort of comfort it is, having Emil so close to him once again. Lalli takes a breath halfway across the city and feels more at ease than he's felt since, like, waking up this morning.

But as pleased as he is to hear Emil again—and as pleased as he is to hear Emil sound so happy that he's back?—he hears "room" and immediately pictures his comfortable, cozy sleeping spot. Aha...]

Mmh. Soon.

[So he's as talkative as he's always been when he's this tired, but it's fine; the important thing is that he zips back to their room as quickly as he can, which is... pretty quickly, actually. He knows (most of) this city like the back of his hand now! He knows all the best shortcuts to take, which is why Emil doesn't have to wait too long for Lalli to slink right into the room.

And what does Lalli say when he sees the boy he rushed back to see? What is he supposed to say, actually? He missed Emil... like, Lalli realizes this the moment he sees him, but that seems like an impossibly stupid thing to say after only being apart for a day; it's why he settles for giving Emil a short once-over, just to make sure that nothing has changed, before his eyes come back to that very nice face as he offers a quiet:]

Hello.

[...Hmm. Desires five minutes ago: say hello to Emil, give gift, sleep, eat. Desires now: touch that face, keep... touching that face, give gift, touch face again?? He's working on it.]

[illequipped]

[This boy and his many words, huh. Emil makes it back to the room faster if only because he's closer; it's only a few minutes that he loiters around before Lalli comes in, and he perks up immediately when he sees him. That's nothing new, he's always making a dumb face when he sees Lalli, but now Lalli can feel even more of those happy-to-see-you feelings, thanks to their mental link. Lalli... is here!!

Emil, also a talented wordsmith, can only come up with:] Hey.

[And thaaat's... it, besides his many feelings. On some level, this strikes him as a little silly; Lalli was away for, like, a day? He's been away for days before, so it must be down to this connection of theirs that Emil feels so much more strongly about seeing him again now. The connection, and, mmm— well, he's already said more than once how much he just loves Lalli being around. That thing, again, plus extra.

First order of business besides staring at each other, then: he shuffles closer, hands going right for the gentle hair-fixing after Lalli's wild day out. Hi, hello.]

You look very tired. Come on.

[Come with him... to sit on the bed... He conveys this by taking a step back without pulling away from Lalli's hair, hoping he'll follow so this doesn't get stupid real fast. Let's go!!]

[ilves]

[Lalli is here and Lalli feels... better, thanks to that wave of Emil Emotions™ that just, like, sweeps over him. It's nice to know that Emil is glad that he's back; it's even better to know that Emil is that glad that he's back. It's almost enough! He could survive off this alone, if he really had to!

But he doesn't, thankfully, because soon there are hands in his hair and almost all is right with the world. He's still tired; it's why he can't stop his eyes from sliding closed while he savors this basic touch, but crawling under the bed and passing the fuck out is shoved to the back burner for the time being. Emil is happy to see him, Emil is giving him attention, Emil is... taking a step back? That causes him to open his eyes once more, because hey... come back... or just let him shamble along, sure, even if he does feel the need to stubbornly say—]

'm not.

[Not very, he means, but He Is. Anyway, sitting on the bed... is something he will gladly do, even though he leans his head into one of those hands as he does so to ensure that it, at least, doesn't pull away. Will that make getting situated a bit awkward? Probably, but it's not like he cares; he's too busy stifling a yawn as he forces his eyes to stay open this time. Silence... is good, but silence also makes him sleepy, so... seeing as how he wants to enjoy this hair touching to the fullest...]

...What did you do? Today.

[While he was gallivanting around the countryside... this is Lalli for, "Did you have a good day, dear?"]

[illequipped]

[Yes, yes, insist about being wide awake, sure— Emil knows the truth. It does take a little fidgeting to get settled when Lalli refuses to give him a second's space, but that's fine! It's not as if Emil was going to leave him there anyway. Once they're properly seated he goes right back to it, combing fingers through Lalli's hair with another wave of Good Feelings.

Not for his own day, because it was boring, but aha— one whole Manners from his boy, how sweet.]

I... waited tables again. [bleh] I suppose that's what I do now? It's terrible, but it's not like I could get my actual job here, so...

[Whatever! He'll be a waiter in a cute little apron! Even if the food shortage cuts down on how bustling restaurants are around here, it's something. Lalli is still the breadwinner and he's accepted that. At least he gets a work shift that lets him nyoom home to Lalli at precisely the right time! That's a plus.

Speaking of his very, very sleepy boy... hmm...]

Are you comfortable? Don't hit your head.

[Don't fall asleep sitting up, specifically. Boy!!]

[ilves]

[Emil waiting tables? Hmm. Lalli briefly imagines, like, popping in during one of Emil's shifts, because food and his favorite person...

...Well, it's a nice, soft thought! One that, when paired with the fingers gently working their way through his messy hair, makes him even sleepier. It suddenly feels like he's made of something very, very heavy, and he wants nothing more than to sink down on top of the bed—weird!—and pull those hands down with him, but he resists; he forces himself to straighten up instead, eyes blinking rapidly for a moment as he tries to shake off the urge to close them entirely. Hello, good morning, he is fully! Present!]

I'm not going to fall.

[But he is going to yawn, quickly, before he reluctantly leans away from those hands. He needs to take his boots off? He probably needs to change shirts, but that seems like an impossible task that requires him to, like, step away from Emil... it can wait...]

I'll be comfortable when I'm asleep. Later. [Soon-ish! When the novelty of Emil being Here has worn off, but for now, as he leans down to work on his (gross) boots:] Keep talking.

[Tell him anything and everything, because the truth... is that he missed that voice, too? Wild.]

[illequipped]

[Uhhh, haha? Wow?? This boy. Emil gives him a look, amused but still skeptical about just how awake he is, and sort of idly flexes his fingers before he drops his hands down to his lap. A moment later and he leans back on them instead, fidgety— it's not terrible, but there's something lacking after Lalli pulls away to do something with his nasty boots. He wants to touch that hair, enjoy this company...

At least he can do one of two? Hmm!]

If you fall asleep, I'll have to wake you up to say I told you so.

[Ha ha he won't though, he's not super cruel. Talking, though...]

Anyway, ummm... Well, some lady tried to order meat skin today? Just the skin. I didn't know what to do with myself. [Incredibly gross!!!!] Can you imagine? Next someone's going to try ordering steam...

[He's waited tables for like six days, and not even six days in a row, but he has Many weird customer stories already... He can keep going...]

1. two naps in one day is bad 2. this post was at 69 comments for far too long

[ilves]

[It's not like Lalli meant to use up that much of his Jewel's magic.

Or, well—Lalli knew that summoning his Luonto would require a great deal of his Jewel's magic, but he didn't think that a) finding Guts within a web and b) convincing the idiot to leave said web would drag on for very long at all. But it... did, of course. Of course. What should have been a short, uh, rescue mission morphed into an incredibly long rescue mission, leaving Lalli utterly exhausted—utterly drained—when that web was finally unraveled; he only barely managed to stay awake long enough to make sure that Guts was, you know, actually back before he promptly passed the heck out.

So Guts carrying him back to the room? The fact that an entire day has passed? The chance that Emil is, like, wondering what in the world happened to him? As Lalli sleeps within his dream, waiting for his weird new magic to... recharge, he's (blissfully) unaware of everything.

And he's still unaware of everything when his eyes slowly, finally crack open in the real world. First thought: ah, but it's dark. So dark, which means that it's well past dusk, which means that he's been out for... ah. A few hours, at least. Not exactly a pleasant realization.

But it's undoubtedly better than the next few realizations that seem to hit him all at once. He's lying somewhere... softer than the middle of an alleyway, his head is aching, he's covered with a blanket, he has a terrible taste (blood??) in his mouth, he's starving, and oh, yes—someone is breathing somewhere close by? Very close by. Aha...

...Aha. It's instinct, really, that sends him shooting upward, a sudden movement that is absolutely awful for his foggy head; like, he manages to stay sitting up just long enough to catch a glimpse of some blessedly familiar golden hair, but then things begin to... swim... and he has no choice but to flop right back down.]

Puh.

[Pro: that pillow is a nice thing to fall back on. Con: he just shook the entire bed, so, like... sorry about this rude wake up call, Emil. And about the solid day of concern, but! Whatever!]

:/ now the post isn't funny anymore

[illequipped]

[Guts turning up with Lalli in tow, unconscious, isn't really a surprise. Not because he does this often - uh, twice, sure, but Emil notices it when their mental link goes from normal to whatever the hell happened a whole day ago. Magic stuff. And he worries, of course, and waits all day for some sign that Lalli is going to pop up in his head again, which wouldn't actually be a great thing after last time— so the whole completely unconscious thing is... somehow the less stressful option?

It's not a great, fun day for Emil, all the same. Frankly, Lalli being delivered unconscious pretty much immediately takes over anything else Emil might have done with his time (though not much, because hmm, going out and getting caught in a horrible magic web thing seems like a bad idea still). He frets. He makes sure Lalli is at least comfortable, then frets some more. Debates whether or not Lalli will be irritated about sleeping in the bed instead of under it, decides two things: 1. It's ice cold to roll your comatose best friend under the bed, and 2. He would like Lalli up here, thank you— and that's... all he can do for now!

Crawling into bed and getting the bare minimum amount of sleep because some stressful, insane magic thing is happening is also not unfamiliar to him at this point, but whatever. He's having a lovely dream about pies this time when Lalli's abrupt movements wake him, and it takes him a moment to realize what's going on? Lalli is actually up after only one day? Now that's a welcome surprise...

Ah, but he's awake... now Emil is truly awake, pushing himself up on his elbow to peer at him. Hello, hi, it's been 24 hours.]

You're back! [Which is the easiest way to describe this magic coma that he doesn't understand. Boy...] Are you— uh, how are you?

[It may be night time but his Concern will not be stopped!!]

[ilves]

[As nice as it is to hear that voice—please, best friend, give him a second to, like, silently squint up at the ceiling and let things slowly fall into place. He knows where he is, at least, and who's beside him, but everything else is... murky. And he still feels light-headed? Ugh. That isn't a surprise, but as he frees a hand from the blanket and brings it up to his forehead, it's annoying enough for him to answer that question with nothing more than a quiet—]

Hrmh.

[Answer: Not great! He's felt better! But he's also felt worse, so after taking a slow, steady breath and making sure that the rest of him feels more or less okay, he slowly turns his head to look over at Emil.

...Hmm. Well, this isn't the, um, ethereal version that popped up in his last dream, but he still studies the bit of Emil's face he can actually see before stretching that hand out to... lightly poke a cheek. Solid? Solid. That's probably a good sign, he thinks, and yet he still pokes Emil's poor face one more time. Just to be sure.]

...How long have I been here?

[How long has he been conked... out.]

[illequipped]

[...You know, this is more or less what Emil expected. This is actually a marked improvement after the other times Lalli came out of a strange magical coma? At least he's not throwing up! Emil can accept these dumb pokes only because he's very relieved Lalli is aware enough to poke at him again.

Pros, cons!!]

Um— a day, more or less.

[Very stressful, thanks for waking up!! If he's okay enough to ask questions, he's okay enough to answer some—]

What happened?

[ilves]

[Huh. A day. Well, that's certainly something for Lalli to chew on as he brings his hand back to rest against his forehead, because this new magic he's been given continues to be... so, so different from his magic. He remembers how long it took him to recover the last time he summoned his luonto, but now...

...Well, he doesn't feel great, but he doesn't feel drained. Good? Odd? It's both, and his brow furrows as he files this information away for both future consideration and future testing. It's nice to know he can definitely summon his luonto; it will be better when he knows just how it all works.

That, however, is a Him problem, which is why he latches onto that second question after a moment of silence. What happened! Pfh! Idiocy, that's what.]

The big, stupid one went into a web. Guts. [Remembering his name is a good sign, and yet Lalli still finds the strength to huff.] He was too weak to leave, so I had to pull him out.

[And that explains everything, surely.]

[illequipped]

[Why does Guts have to keep carrying one of them back home... This is becoming a weird pattern. Anyway - that explains nothing at all. There's magic involved, he's got that much, and he's glad all over again that he didn't walk face-first into any magic webs recently, but hmm!]

...Okay. Well, I'm glad you're back.

[Maaaybe this is a thing they can talk about in the morning. Now that Lalli's awake, though, Emil wonders if he's going to roll away and disappear under the bed, and that would be... not great, he's decided. Even besides the stress of Lalli's latest magical mystery, the things that have gone on in this horrible city lately haven't been comforting to witness! He's needy and he wants company!]

Do you want to go back to sleep? You can stay here.

[He already was here, asleep, but it's good to clarify.]

[ilves]

[Lalli is marginally aware that Emil's "Okay" means he doesn't understand what, exactly, plucking someone from a web entails, but it's... fine? For now, anyway. Magic-related things are tough for Emil to grasp, and Lalli doesn't feel like explaining everything that happened in Guts' strange, strange memory. After he's eaten breakfast, perhaps... after he's heard Emil say one or two other nice things...

Until then, though, there are other things to consider, like... the fact that he's sharing a bed with Emil! Aha. It was an easy enough thing to let slide while he was thinking about Guts and how dumb that whole (mis)adventure was, but now that it's been brought back to his attention—hmm. The hand on his forehead slides down to his cheek, all while he blinks over at Emil and thinks about his current priorities. Does he want to sleep? Does he want to stay in this oh-so comfortable spot when Emil is, like, right there??]

...I don't know.

[About either thing, really, because while a tired part of him enjoys the, mmm, current coziness... he's also wide awake? That's what thinking does to a person. Gosh. But at least there are other, clearer things for him to focus on, like—]

My mouth... [How did Emil put it that one time? Watch Lalli's face screw up a bit as he thinks.] It tastes like... two bees died in it.

[This is, without a doubt, the most pressing issue here.]

[illequipped]

[There's a moment, a whole three-ish seconds, where Emil has no idea what this bee thing means. Expecting him to remember every dumb, bullshit thing he's ever said is silly, but he does remember this one after a moment, and that— Lalli's magic hangover, the sheer seriousness of how he says it... well! Emil can't help laughing, surprised at first; it gets away from him a little, tinged with the relief he's felt since Lalli woke up. Give him a second, whew!!

...Okay, okay. He reaches for Lalli, covering the hand on his cheek with his own and giving it a squeeze. Boy... why does bee mouth happen to good people... okay.]

Hah— go brush your teeth! I'm not going anywhere!

[Because a) it's the middle of the night, and b) this feels like an important thing to say while Lalli still looks kind of disoriented from his Magic Time. He's here! He is here and he would love it if Lalli stayed here as well, but, you know, compromises and so on.]