[PRP] meant to live (ollie & nasir)

[Melancholies]

He shrugged, "If you wanted to try, I guess I could see if anything happens." He paused to reach into his bag, the movement producing a soft jingling sound. His emergency medication was on standby, in case he did experience whatever the ******** again. "I have my meds on me in case my head starts to hurt. They're pretty good at keeping the migraines away so long as I take them immediately." And boy was he good at reading the warning signs.

He took another bite of the pastry in the meantime.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I still keep some on me." The medication he had been given for his headaches when things had started for him. Nasir looked around a moment and shifted in his seat, taking a sip of his tea before he leaned back.

"Hopefully this won't be too weird." A pause. "Well, I mean because I'll look like I'm asleep or something." Then he was giving Ollie a nod as he closed his eyes and reached for that bright spark in his mind that was Trouble. The squirrel was actually back home, tussling with Bud and that made the young man mentally laugh.

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Oliver watched Nasir's expression, "It's fine, I'll snap at anyone who tries to say anything." Besides the fact that he'd seen people napping in far different places, far weirder places. Nasir was just... taking an extended blink or something.

Usually, he wouldn't be able to pinpoint when Nasir started to warg, but this time it caught him sharp. It wasn't the blazing warmth of springtime that slapped him in the face, but instead it was a gentle creeping sort of motion, intrusive and yet... not. The edges of his vision flickered and wavered like heat waves off a fire place, and though he couldn't taste the cinders from the charring wood or really feel the warmth it gave off, the entire experience could only be surmised as home. It was... comforting actually. Exceedingly comforting.

His eyes welled a little as he sat there speechless, the invisible warmth still tangible in his vision.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir lingered in the connection, a silent passenger as Trouble led Bud around the house in a game of chase. When he caught sight of a clock, realizing it had been a couple minutes, he let go. He was blinking rapidly then, as if to clear what he had seen from his vision, and pushing his glasses up his nose out of habit.

Looking over to Oliver, he opened his mouth to speak to him before noticing the look on his face and the way his eyes seemed to be watering.

"Ollie?" Nasir was reaching out towards him, concern on his face. It didn't look like a bad expression but then his eyes were watering and-

What if his warging had done something bad?

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

For as much as Oliver was beside himself, in the next moment it all seemed to wash away. Nasir let go of his mental bond with Trouble, and the sensation seemed to sink out of Oliver's bones; the notion of home and all the nuances that came with it were gone... just like that. No more oven smoke, no more red-toned rustic interiors, no more hand-woven rugs or shelter from the snow. The warmth was gone.

It was sobering, in a way.

"I-I—Sorry, sorry." He moved to compose himself, his hand running through his hair like he was trying to fix it. It hadn't even been mussed in the first place. "I just... wasn't expecting that." He shook his head, "Don't worry, don't worry..."

He was silent for a moment before adding, "Your magic tasted like comfort." The wood smoke still felt real on his skin.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir's hand moved without thinking as Oliver composed himself, reaching and wrapping around the other young man's hand. "I guess I can't worry if it's comfort ..."

It actually made his face go a little red. Just the idea that his magic offered a sense comfort was- Nasir did not know but it made him feel better because comfort was what he wanted to be able to offer.

His hand was warm and was likely nothing compared to the sensation that Oliver experienced. It was, much like his magic, meant to be a comfort. "You shouldn't say sorry though, that still sounds a little overwhelming to experience. Especially if you weren't expecting it."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Oliver's eyes got huge at the sudden contact, his eyes immediately fixated on Nasir's hand holding his. On one hand Oliver was absolutely starved of physical contact. On the other, that was his hand. Still, if he was at all disdainful, he didn't seem to speak up about it.

"I guess so..." He replied lamely, "It just caught me off guard. Shiloh's was so... fresh, but this was entirely different." He pursed his lips. "If it really is the magic I'm sensing, then... I wonder if it's vastly different for everybody?"

His eyes were still staring at their hands. "If not for the fact that it's entirely too disorientating, it could be useful too. You could track someone, distinguish them based on casting alone..." Oliver suddenly groaned, his free hand kneading his forehead, "I bet Otherworld's going to be a mess now. I suppose my spells don't work when I'm shifted though..." Ramble, ramble, ramble...

azuredream

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir did not let go, though he did give Oliver's hand a reflexive squeeze when he saw the widening of his eyes. Some of his own anxiety, paranoia that someone else might pull away, fell away and he gave him a smile. It was a more open smile, as if Oliver had just leveled up their S-Link from one to five in one go.

"Fresh? Like ... linens or flowers and grass?" Both came to mind but somehow he expected that it would be more floral than anything else. Then he was blinking as Oliver reached his conclusion. "I bet it is different for everyone but that's ... a really powerful way to track someone?" Nasir's nose wrinkled, his glasses pushed up on his nose for it. One more squeeze and he was letting go of Oliver's hand.

"You haven't been over yet?" Since this all started. "Maybe go with someone? Just in case it's really overwhelming." Nasir, always a worrier. "Oh, do you not have all your magic when you're in your other form?"

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Oliver blinked. "I mean, I haven't been over recently..." His hand freed, he immediately started to muss with his finger tips. "I go over to shift, obviously. I guess I've been going over a lot more lately, but not since this... started." He sighed, still feeling the remnants of the comfort. "It's true though. I don't have any of my magic in my other form."

He thought about it.

"No, none at all..." He reiterated, "But, I also don't know what is magic and what isn't?" He was thrumming his fingers on the table now, "I mean, this... sensory perception, I suppose, obviously is... I guess I can find my way in and out of the Otherworld noteworthy." He tapped his chin now, "I find lots of... pills." At that one he made a face.

"I can't say I notice anything like that happening when I'm a raccoon though." Another face, "Except I mean, the pills..."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I suppose it makes sense that you don't have your abilities when you're in your other shape ..." Nasir blinked, looking thoughtful. "I don't like the idea of you turning into a guinea pig to figure out what is what but you might have to?"

Then he was blinking owlishly before he chuckled a little. "The pills thing reminds me of how I figured out I had magic. I was cooking one day at work and should've run out of one of the ingredients. Instead I still had enough to finish what I was cooking every time. It was weird." Not as weird as stuff now but still. "I think you're right about being able to find your way in and out of the other side? That has to feel some kind of way that you'd be able to notice if you're sensing magic."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

He nodded, "Yeah. I don't really notice anything differently, I just... when I want in, it lets me in." He shrugged. "The cooking thing sounds useful though. I mean, finding a lot of ibuprofen is useful too, but only if you're in pain." He winced a little, "Which is useful if it happens, but I still wish it didn't."

Oliver shrugged. "I don't mind being a raccoon all that much. It's mostly the fact it's tied to the moon." He looked up at the ceiling, "And having ears and a tail for a week out of the month kind of sucks for classes and work. I mean, I'm pretty good at hiding what I can, but I inevitably have to skip a few classes." Ollie sighed, "I can blame it on my migraines at least. My professors are understanding, if only because I keep on top of my work regardless. Hopefully they don't find a pattern. They wouldn't would they?" His eyes were huge, "My student misses class during the full moon, maybe he's a werewolf." Slow down there Oliver.

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

"I still have to kind of wander around until I get over," Nasir said, "but I've figured out how to find my way back pretty easy now ..." The mention of finding ibuprofen had him giving Oliver a sad kind of smile before it became a regular one. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I kind of had to increase my own stock because of warging. If I'm not careful, I can get a headache that knocks me out for the rest of the day."

He was quiet a moment as he listened before shaking his head. "I kind of doubt they're going to notice anything like that? It isn't like people know about moonwalkers or wargs, aside from the listserv." Reaching forward, he was curling his fingers around Oliver's again. He did not want him to be so worried, or anything like that, because this wasn't something to be worried about ...

Melancholies

lol, baby riser power usage? ease a little bit of that anxiety for oliver? not that nasir's gonna realize anything yet.

 

[Melancholies]

Oliver was about to flinch from the touch, but he didn't. Instead his anxiety ebbed slightly, his posture settled down, the wild light from his eyes seemed to fade softly like lights at an ambient restaurant.

"You're... you're right, sorry." He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. "I got away from myself for a second. The wouldn't know. That's... that's silly."

azuredreams

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir gave Oliver's hand a faint squeeze before he pulled his hand back, mostly because there was a sudden spike of anxiety. That, perhaps, it was best if he did not just touch someone without permission.

He tried to push it away.

"I've kind of ... rabbit trailed like that too, you know?" Sorry didn't need to be said. Nasir gave him a reassuring smile. "I think we're safe because ... well, being a warg or a moonwalker is kind of unique to Ashdown. Otherwise, we would hear about it all over. People still seem to think magic is like Harry Potter when it's not."

Melancholies

 

[Melancholies]

Nasir let go, but Oliver didn't protest. Touch or be touched, Oliver was in a weird purgatory when it came to physical contact anyway. Sometimes he liked it, sometimes he didn't. With Nasir just now he'd been fine, but he wasn't sad to watch him go either. Sure, he craved it sometimes, but that was an entirely different story.

"I guess that's true..." His gaze slid over to the front counter, "Oh, the line's died down. I'm going to go place an order, okay?" He offered Nasir a faint grin. "But I'll be right back."

azuredreams

FTB when him coming back + idle chit chat? o: