[PRP] nervous energy (oliver & nasir)

[azuredreams]

Time was counting down and Nasir was getting antsier than ever. Thankfully, there was a wedding to cook and prepare for and that, in itself, was a blessing. It was something to focus on and not wonder what was going to come with the middle of the month.

Still, there were not many he talked to about things - most were busy - and that meant that he was texting Oliver. Mostly it was just to meet up, maybe cross over to the other side, and hang out and talk (if other stuff happened, so be it). Nasir was checking something over on his phone, mostly reading over notes he had put down in a google doc for ease (he was still looking into magic more and more lately) while waiting for Oliver.

At least he was not fidgeting at the moment but give him time. It would probably happen.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Oliver was getting antsier too, because in the wake of all the charter bullshit he'd let his academics slip and he was having a goddamn time of it. Leave it to Beaumont to care more about his grades rather than the fate of an entire underground magical society.

But he was learning how to handle it better too, if his lessons with Renard were any indication. His face was fairly neutral, his mind was blessedly blank as his thoughts worked themselves over and over in the back of his head. Traveling outside was daunting in how prevalent death actually was, but now he didn't turn his head or bare his teeth at every insignificant passing. Things came, they happened, they went, and that was just the flow of things.

He gave Nasir's door a gentle knock when he came up onto the doormat. After a moment, he ringed the doorbell too.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

The doorbell being rung was what got his attention, Nasir not picking up on the knocking. He pulled the door open and, despite being nervous, at least did not look like it. He smiled at Oliver, gesturing for him to come inside.

"Hey!" he greeted, sliding his phone away for the time being. "I'm really glad you were able to come out with me." Nasir turned to pick up his bag, sliding it over his head. "Do you want a bottle of water or anything? Before we head out?" He paused then, biting his lip. What if it was better just to hang out?

No, Nasir. Stop.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Ollie blinked slowly, "Water? No, no I'm good." He rummaged around in his bag as he produced a raspberry snapple. "Have you ever tried these? They're really good."

He wiggled it.

"I might be coerced into letting you have a sip, but it's my only one." wiggle wiggle "These are my favorite though, so I wouldn't pass this opportunity up." Oliver was speaking as he took a step back on the porch to let Nasir out.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Apparently that was the way to do things with a nervous energy Nasir. Lead him out with promises of trying a flavor of snapple he had only heard tale of but never actually tried.

"I've never actually got to try one of those," he told him, following him out and closing the door behind him. It was locked without thought. "They're always sold out whenever I remember to get one."

Definitely on board to try it, okay. Nasir nudged his glasses up his nose, adjusting the bag on his shoulder and gave Oliver a warm smile. "Thanks." He meant more than just, you know, the offer of a sip of raspberry snapple.

Melancholies

/slams into this thread because it is all that is good with the world

 

[Melancholies]

Oliver seemed to be waiting for a response or a reaction as he handed the snapple over, "That might be my fault. I tend to buy them out whenever I can find them on sale..." He looked a little sheepish as he scratched the back of his head, "But they're basically the only thing I drink anymore. Well, that and tea... sometimes Elliot and I go out for boba, but you have to go out of your way a little for that."

"Anyway, Otherworld?" He adjusted his back on his shoulder, "Or..."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir laughed a little. "So ... I need to come see you if I want to get my hands on one?" Then he was taking a sip of the snapple (it was oh so satisfying) before it was passed back. "Boba is one of those 'do I want to brave Boston?' situations. Which I don't even want to do lately." He still did for classes, however, and that usually meant indulging in a boba to make the day better.

"Otherworld," he answered. "You can get over easy, right? I still haven't gotten it down yet to just ... finding a way there within a few minutes."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"...if you're willing to pay the dues, yeah, I can share more than a sip." Oliver took the drink back before sipping it himself, "I feel you though. It's so hectic here, I don't even want to deal with the bigger cities." He looked agitated for a brief moment, "Granted, there'd probably be less magic for me to pick up on, but I'm sure there'd be way more s**t to trigger my deathsense. And I just started to get that under wraps..."

He shrugged as he capped the snapple.

"But yeah, I can. At least, I can find my way in whenever I wanna, so..." He looked around, "It was a thing I just kind of... had. I dunno. I guess it makes it easier on being a Moonwalker. Anyway here, this way I think..." He led Nasir away from the door and along the sidewalk. "It's easier for me if we're moving."

The way they crossed the veil was almost seamless.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I can pay the dues," Nasir said with a smile and a small laugh. He was nodded in agreement about it being hectic in big cities and never mind with Oliver's particular talents ... "Ashdown is a bit weird like that. So much magic here compared to everywhere else in the world. Probably because of the other place attached to it."

Walking with Oliver, he just focused on him instead of their surroundings and, soon enough the world they were in bled away to being the other world they had become part of. "That's ... really useful," Nasir said, eyes a little wide behind his glasses. "Good that you can do it too, since you're a Moonwalker."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"Yup." Oliver was in total agreement, "I noticed I could do it ever since I came back from the void, though maybe I could always do it? I mean, I think... I became magic shortly before the void incident happened..." He was walking like it was nothing. Otherworld had become such a seamless part of his life that it was ridiculous. "Either way, I'll take it. I still meet up with the rest of the pack to cross over sometimes, but it's nice to know that... if something happens, I can always get over on my own merit, and quickly." That was the key part.

"It'd be terrible if not. I know..." He looked a little upset, "I know the moon madness can be a terrible thing. I wasn't there at the Blackfriars incident that people always cite, but I can imagine. Shiloh said that it happened once to Jamie too. I couldn't fathom." Ollie gave one of his neatly manicured hands a once over, "It makes me wish I was a warg sometimes. You get a companion for life. We get a bunch of bullshit stipulations tethering us to the Otherworld. It wouldn't be so bad if I had a say in it... or if it wasn't so dangerous."

"But listen to me talk. I'm sure there's pros and cons to any differentiation." He knew Nobles had a slew, courtesy of Shiloh's bitching. "Grass isn't always greener sort of thing. But it seems like you enjoy your bond with trouble quite a deal."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I only heard about the void, since mostly I went to sleep on Halloween and woke up to it being ... December." Nasir shook his head, listening as Ollie talked and - when Blackfriars was mentioned - rubbing at the scar on his arm. The slice of claw marks were still there, along with the puckered flesh of where the claw and punctured and scarred.

His eyes widened a little at the mention of Jamie being caught on this side after moonrise. There was little raise of panic but it was neatly pushed away. "Honestly, I think you're right. I mean, about ... the pros and cons. It really seems like being a warg is the one with the least amount of cons when you have moonwalkers and the nobles."

Nasir let out a breath. "The worst thing I have to worry about is Trouble getting killed. That would-" His fingers closed around the fabric of Ollie's sleeve without thought, as if holding onto a lifeline. "There was a woman, at Blackfriars, her name was Lara Lupin - you saw her at the Conference - and her familiar was killed. It broke her mind completely. She was hospitalized." The way he said it implied committed. "Here, she's fine but I'll never forget how she looked, cradling her dead familiar in her arms."

He shivered and shook his head. "Trouble is important to me, we share headspace. I can speak with him, you know. It's not exactly amazing conversation but he tells me things." Tilting his head, he looked towards Oliver. "With you and Lily, I kind of worry - I mean, not too much, but - there's a lot that could go wrong for you guys. Worst thing I ever dealt with was the fact that my bond was spontaneous and I thought I was going crazy." Nasir scrunched up his nose. "It feels like there's just too many downsides for you and that really isn't fair."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Oliver nodded reverently, "Yes." After a moment, "I know there's some that really appreciate this sort of connection with magic, like Eve. I think Jamie's warmed up to it considerably too..." And there was the trail off, "But you're right. It's like one of those 'high risk high reward' deals. Maybe I'd..."

Oliver sighed.

"It'd be one thing if I was a fox, or a wolf, or a deer or even a rabbit. But being a raccoon just feels dirty." He sniffed, "And I suppose I have current society to blame for the weight that carries, but still. I can't run fast or lift incredible things. A raccoon doesn't have anything that really sets it aside, aside from the tactile sensibility—and I think to really master your wereform, you have to accept all of that in stride. You have to work with it. Accept it. But in the same breath it's not really something you can avoid once you have it. It's integral. It gets in the way."

He stopped walking, the slow static of the Otherworld filtering around them.

"Though I guess losing your mind permanently like that would be terrible too. You're responsible for another's life in addition to your own..." He looked to Nasir finally, "Magic. A lot of it is give and take, I guess."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"It really is," agreed Nasir. His fingers finally let go of Oliver's sleeve, as he realized he was holding onto it. Serious topics like this tended to inspire that in him; the need to not be alone and have someone else to share things with.

"For me, as a warg, I have to ... make a space within all that is me for Trouble. As much as he's separate, he's a part of me and I'm a part of him." His eyes closed a moment, reaching out along the thread in his mind that lead to his familiar. Trouble was, of course, back at the house and playing. He broke off the connection easily. "I can't ignore him, I can't push him aside, I have - had to - accept that. It's like what you're talking about, accepting all of those things in stride, but instead of it all being within me or changing my form it's a real, tangible creature."

When Oliver stopped walking, Nasir nudged him lightly with his shoulder. "For what it's worth, I think raccoons are pretty great and so are you. You're probably right about society being responsible for a negative view of it but ... They're also smart, resourceful animals. Besides, I'm pretty sure if you were a warg and you had a raccoon as a familiar, you'd be in for more trouble than I am with Trouble. I guess though ... what we really have in common in all of this is that we didn't choose these paths. They found us. That's what makes it a bit harder to deal with."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

"That's true." His lips pursed a little bit. "I just feel like a black sheep, I guess, among my peers. Not that the pack is really that big—I mean, there's Eve—" He grimaced, "Was Eve. Though I suppose she's working on regaining her powers. And then Jamie, that Lily girl I met at the conference... I met an individual named Ashton too."

He scowled, "And then the mink girl."

"But despite being so intrinsically connected, there isn't much of a... network. Everything is so scattered and messed up and it feels like there isn't much for us to work off of, and not enough to set us into our old positions either." He fished the snapple out of his bag again, nursed it a little.

"Anyway, I've been trying not to think about that stuff so much. It's already stressful enough with the casting coming up..." He scuffed his foot on the ground.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"Mink girl?" That had him blinking before things clicked. "Preacher?" Except that scowl made him- "Wait, was she the one that punched you?!" Nasir looked bothered by this but tried to move on past it and not just be a little defensive.

A rare feeling for sure but it was there all the same.

"I ... try to do the same thing. Not think about it so much for those same reasons. I've been trying to put together a guide for wargs, wargs-to-be or whatever, to help them understand and not be without some kind of guidance. Try and take it some direction ourselves but it may not ... even matter anymore." Not with the casting coming up and everything else.

Melancholies