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[ that is… a somewhat more complicated question. dextera revealed his power to lupin, and lupin even knows things about his past that few others do, but answering that honestly means completely and utterly changing the way lupin looks at him. ]

…

[ lupin would tell him it’s all right not to say it, though. he imagines. his pulse flutters in his neck. ]

It was a gift. [ a pause, and he taps his throat. ] An exchange.

[ Oh. His eyes widen a little at that admission. He'd always assumed Dextera was simply born that way; it's more distressing to know that he gave up his voice for power. Then again, in a world with monsters like that - and after society's fallen apart - Lupin has to imagine that the ability to heal might be more valuable than the ability to talk. If he was still back in London, he'd ask who (or what) could possibly make a deal like that with him; at this point, though, he just assumes there's some magical spirit that did this exchange. ]

Oh - sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up. [ he scratches the back of his head, somewhat sheepish. ] ... That was noble of you, then.

[ a magical spirit, indeed.

there’s nothing more magical than god, though dextera would—and if guren’s advice is any to take, should—shy away from speaking too freely about her and all that’s happened. the forest already knows his history. it’s best to keep that secret a little longer. ]

…

[ dextera manages an awkward smile, mirroring lupin’s sheepishness about the whole thing, as if he hadn’t traded away his voice for godhood. ]

It was necessary. Don’t worry. One day… I will get it back.

Will you? I'd like to hear that. I can't imagine what you sound like, honestly.

[ he's not clueless to the fact that there's more going on beneath the surface here, but he doesn't see any need to pry deeper and make Dex more uncomfortable than he already is, so he maintains his light attitude. ]

Any other powers to show me?

[ dextera knows the sound of his own voice, so it’s hard for him to imagine anything else than what he has—but he similarly wonders what other people might ascribe to him.

he shakes his head. ]

I think… that’s enough. Thank you.

[ a pause, just where he has to consider something, and then he offers lupin this: an “L,” folded into a sign for lupin’s very specific, fashionable hat. ]

Lupin.

[ Just that? This wasn't so bad at all, then. Dextera surely has his reasons for keeping his powers to himself most of the time; Lupin understands that he's been shown something that a lot of people in town probably haven't. Even if it was #FFFFFF forcing Dextera's hand, he'll take this little excursion as a compliment. And when the power shown was so mild, it doesn't feel like he did much at all. Still, he smiles, nodding in response to Dex's thanks.

He doesn't understand sign language natively - it's only the town's magic making him understand it - so it takes a second to figure out what happens next. Eyes widening just slightly, Lupin pokes a finger at his own chest. ]

... That's me? [ blink. ] Did you come up with a name for me?

Is it… OK?

[ it’s signed as hesitantly as the words themselves are—he’s taken this assignment of names as a quiet point of pride for himself, something all tied up in the way he sees people and what he perceives as a problem to overcome, but lupin isn’t someone he spends a lot of time with.

maybe it was presumptuous. ]

More than okay.

[ his face brightens once he confirms his suspicions, smile reassuring and happy. It's flattering, in a weird way he can't quite articulate; maybe it's just nice to know that Dextera actually thinks of him enough to come up with a word for him. ]

I like it. Thanks, Dex.

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