steepwithdead | Folkmore

Hey, I'm doing my part of testing the integrity of the floor up there. [The joke comes easily enough as he walks over to lean against the counter for the moment. Not in the way, but here to make pizza happen.]

I think we have enough tomato for sauce, but, I haven't checked our tomatoes in a while. [you mean HIS tomatoes, buddy.]

[Caduceus doesn't correct him. They've been sharing space for a bit now, and the groceries have been shared, too. They can be their tomatoes for a while.]

We may have enough ingredients here already, though I'm not opposed to going out to fetch more. You seem like you have some extra energy to burn.

[Walking through the market is surely better than pacing craters in the floor. It's such lovely mahogany...]

You want me to stop tormenting these poor floors. Afraid my stress tests might be too much. [He bats back, teasingly.]

Well, if you want, we could go and grab a few things. Keep me away from my relic and all the drama there. [Suddenly a 'we' thing again.]

I do, actually. It's load-bearing.

[The house is sturdy, but the roof has to rest on something! Also, it's a ceiling as much as a floor, and the kitchen is just below... (It isn't really going to collapse, but the ruse got him downstairs, didn't it?)]

I think time away from all of it would do you a lot of good. Not only for you, either. Your stress is contagious.

Well, if it's load bearing, I better not test it too hard. [The turtle is very easy to trick, thankfully. Leonardo chuckles somewhat back.]

Didn't mean for my stress to come your way. Guess I'm real good at stressing.

Call it one of your many talents.

[Please calm down, though.]

There are things in life you can't change. Opinions are, sometimes, one of them. You've done what you can for now, sown your seeds. You need to give your thoughts and feelings time to grow in his mind.

We'll add it right on the list next to 'too loud' and call it even on the talent list. [He mimes checking it off a list.]

I used to be able to change hearts and minds with speeches, guess I've lost that touch. [He has to joke a little about that much.] You're right, best I can do is wait, and be nearby if Raph wants to talk it out.

Well, at least you know your talents.

[Better to categorize it as talent and not flaw!]

Do those speeches usually work on teenagers? Because I find that speeches often end up being ignored because they sound too much like a lecture.

Gotta be my biggest hype man and hater, depending on the day.

Probably would come off as a lecture here, I'm a little more used to the whole wartime stirring speeches kind of thing. [He motions for Cad to lead the way out of the house, they have ingredients to obtain for pizza after all.]

Edited (I am not a very smart man) 2025-11-16 17:35 (UTC)

[Caduceus fetches his spoon and a basket, and heads out, shrugging on a warm, spring-coloured jacket by the door before they leave. It's not terribly cold yet, but it's good to keep warm just in case.]

Less wartime, but rousing speeches might be what someone needs around here once in a while.

[Leonardo has his spoon on him out of habit, so at best he grabs his cape/cowl from where it is hanging by the door to shrug on.]

I'll start working on some rousing speeches in my mind, just to have on standby in case we need any. You're the one with the actual practical advice, I can be pep talk guy in other circumstances. [He will fall into step with the firblog readily enough.]

Edited 2025-11-16 20:22 (UTC)

A terrible nagging team, we'll make.

[And off they go, towards the market.]

You'll get to the heart of the issue, I'll herd 'em over. Easy. [He jokes easily back as they walk together.

The market isn't terribly far from Caduceus home. The walk itself is peaceful, plenty to help Leonardo's agitation from earlier burn off. The gradual shift of the weather seems to have settled over the realm, even this far out. Slightly cooler air, paired with the shift of various leaves. A gentle breeze picks up, carrying the scent of fall around them, alongside a brief touch of chill. Not that the chill lingers too long. Winter hasn't sunk its claws into the realm just yet.

Well trodden dirt paths show this place remains popular even with the shift of the seasons and produce. Wooden stalls sit across from one another in a loose idea of an aisle. Some stalls are shaded, others going without. Signage advertises the price of specific fruit and vegetables. The market is busy for the time of day, Spirits and Star Children alike drift around checking out various items for sale. There are attempts at haggling, but nothing particularly heated.

It is peaceful, there is no other word for it. A kind of peace Leonardo occasionally files away in the back of his mind when he tries to remind himself of why he's here. Of why, he's trying to keep growing. He wants a world like this to live in. A world like this to see his son flourish.

A world where he can quietly take in moments and find joy in them. There is joy in the moment. In the company present. Occasionally his heart aches for the firbolg, but... it's something he can handle. He can love in a capacity that isn't too much, or likely to crush something like this.

Leonardo finds himself stealing glances at Caduceus as they walk, and idly skims over produce on display. The turtle's biggest opinions lay in picking out tomatoes, at least.]

[The market is a familiar haunt for Caduceus; living here as long as he has, he's made friends, become a known regular among the shopkeeps, and the fairies who call this place home. As they enter the market proper, Caduceus catches sight of one particular stall, smothered in flowers and manned by a tiny little fey creature, no bigger than a hummingbird. He reaches out briefly to touch Leonardo's arm to halt his walk.]

Wait just a moment, we need something.

[He ventures closer to it, lifting a hand in a companionable wave; Leo is welcome to follow along or wait. The conversation is flighty and brief, with the fairy playfully scolding him for not visiting sooner, Caduceus apologizing with laughter in his voice. He makes his request, pointing to a particular shelf, and thanks the worker graciously. When he returns to Leo, it's with a flower crown in his hand, which he lifts up to (if permitted) place on the turtle's head. It's a mixture of bright yellow daffodils, pastel chrysanthemum, gladiolus, and white yarrow.]

That's better.

[It's common practice to wear a flower crown when wandering through Willow's market, after all.]

Right, take what time you need. [He offers back easily enough. Though the turtle does trail slightly after Caduceus, just to gaze at the flowers. Being able to bask in this much nature is still a novelty.

He didn't even know this place existed until he moved in with the firbolg. Now he's here occasionally as the other man's shadow if he needs another hand, maybe even two hands when Leonardo does put on his prosthetic.

It is indulgent, woefully so, but he catches himself watching Caduceus primarily. The conversation flows easily between the two. A laugh curls and colors the other man's voice. Leonardo can feel his heart pick up a little at the sound. Living with the man hadn't softened his feelings in the least. It only made the flame burn brighter in a way he couldn't quite quantify.

Maybe when he finally moves back with Donnie, the feelings will simmer and fade. He can simply be a friend to Caduceus. None of the baggage. No chance of hurting the other man. He's done enough damage to people.

But here and now, as he watches the exchange, there is a warm feeling in his chest. An all encompassing admiration, adoration, affection, all things he shouldn't let himself dwell upon.

He blinks as the firbolg approaches, inclining his head to accept the gift of a flower crown. A few loose petals flutter down over him, onto his shoulders, likely at Caduceus himself.]

I- is it? [He questions in kind without meaning to. Leonardo's expression is vulnerable just for a moment. Soft, uncertain, hopeful- before he catches himself. Laughing a little. That vulnerability squashed in favor of a familiar sense of control. It isn't practiced bravado, as much as something more normal. Less painfully raw.] Forgot about this part of things, here, I mean.

[Caduceus is an observant person as ever, of course, but with that sort of expression, he's especially naive and inexperienced about it. People don't generally look at him like that. At least, not exactly like that. Befuddled hope, sure, that's happened. Once in a while he'd pull off some profoundly encouraging line that would hit just right, and someone who wasn't used to hearing such things would take it to heart, and it'd show on their face. He liked those moments. Liked feeling, in a real, tangible way, that his words contributed to their journey, that they might remember in the future and be helped. That's real legacy.

This is... well, not that. But he doesn't know what it is, either. It makes him tilt his expression, curious, inquisitive, confused.]

What is it?

[The fact Caduceus catches that expression isn't a surprise, Leonardo's recovery wasn't exactly smooth. He isn't even sure he could have hidden that if he tried.

He's embarrassingly in love with this man, and he needs to figure that out in his own time. He won't fuck this up.]

Sometimes, people being that kind, or gentle still catches me off guard. I know you and I have- a different dynamic going on, but- [If there is something Leonardo is good at, it is deflection. Side steps of truths as necessary. Keep people looking a direction he needs them to. Caduceus knows him too well by now, but, he isn't lying. He's offering an explanation that is just slightly to the left. A gentle distraction from something he doesn't want to deal with.]

It's just another work in progress. [He continues more quietly, his gaze flicking to the side. His smile is still present, but a little softer all over again.]

[Bullshit detector versus deflection master clash. Caduceus can't get a read on what else it could be, though, so he opts to believe Leonardo, stepping back and tucking his hands into his sleeves so they don't get cold in the autumn breeze, now that his delivery has been made.]

We'll keep working on it, then. Surprise is better than unhappiness. Shall we go?

[He moves to keep walking, as they still have vegetables to acquire.]

One step at a time, right? [He agrees with a pleased flash of a smile. Inwardly relieved Caduceus didn't pick up on the deflection. He won't always get away with that, but, it works for the moment.

He readily falls into step with the other man.] Yeah, those veggies won't jump into our basket on their own unfortunately. Then again, if they did, I might get a little weirded out about eating them.

I think that one did happen before, actually.

[Maybe? He'd heard something like that, anyway. It was a long time ago.]

Weirded out could happen, but I can't stop eating vegetables. I wouldn't have much left to eat if I did.

[He's already meat-free! What's mostly left is... grains?]

[He chuckles a little at that.] You'd have to learn how to photosynthesize to survive, Cad. Just absorb the sunlight and hope it doesn't try to weird you out next.

I'm already partway there, if you think about it.

[He points towards his Legend "halo", AKA the string of vines and florals perpetually present around the back of his head. One reason why he manages to get by in the market as a favoured friend without his own proper flower crown: he's already got one.]

[Leonardo does laugh softly at that. A few petals float down from his flower crown, landing on the fabric of his cowl. Petals are gathering in certain places already as they walk together.] Okay, I can't disagree with that. You're so close to it. Now if only those flowers gave back to you. They suit you, but, they're freeloaders.

Flowers don't exist to feed me. They exist to feed bees.

[He's happy to let them freeload. They bring fun guests around to visit him.]

I think about 85% of the things you say could end up on some kind of greeting card. [He teases lightly back.]

I guess if the flowers bring you bees, the flowers can keep up the good work. If they stop, they're on standby for a trim. [He has no intend to do that, but mimes a cutting gesture jokingly.]

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