driftfleet | action;

Entry tags:

action;

Who: Taako
Broadcast: None
Action: First Breath, Planetside
When: 9/28

First Breath

1. Kitchen
[The Marsiva had become boring after the first day of having absolutely nothing to do. He'd spent the time trying to understand what was going on, and then decided napping was probably the best thing since he was stuck anyway. Which is why he was in the middle of a trance-like nap when the Atroma jingle went off and he exploded onto the First Breath's kitchen with confetti and questionable looking chocolate pudding cups.

Taako blinked, then dusted the confetti off his clothes and wizard's hat. The first thing he saw was the sad state of this kitchen, and Taako put his hands on his hips with a sigh.]

Is this seriously what they want me to work with?

2. Cargo: Salvage
[After settling into the crew, Taako immediately went out salvaging. Something about that seemed to be the right thing to do, so he is dragging bits of metal sheeting, wires, robot parts, and sacks full of gears and pieces into the cargo hold. The planet is basically made for looting, so he's doing his level best to loot the shit out of it. He also has a Mage Hand - an invisible force - carrying several lush looking throw pillows trimmed in various colored fringe and blankets.

When he comes onto the ship, when he sees someone in here, he immediately motions to them.]

You, person whose name I totally remember, go grab the rest of this, hm? I'm not exactly the brawn type.

Planetside

1. Shopping
[You cannot expect Taako to go to a world of literal shopping and not come back with all the craziest shit. But sadly, he does not have a lot of money since he is recently arrived and was not part of this cargo haul that apparently got some people money and others not so much. Which means Taako has to do what Taako does best and improvise.

And he's doing a goddamn God Tier job at it. He's getting new outfits pieced together from clothing crates lost to the dumps, he's getting new throw pillows, blankets, random knick-knacks, and he's trying to find some goddamn weapons just because how bitchin' would it be to roll around the galaxy with a pair of machine guns strapped to his back? Totally, that's how much.

But he still has no money, so he'll slide over to the closest person in the same store as him and smile.]

Hey there, thug, you wanna help me with something?

2. Arena - Locked to Lup
[He could fight here, but why go through the effort? It's so much easier to wait until he sees a good bet and then toss as much of the Charmed credit he's earned so far straight into it. If he loses? Oh well. If he wins? Hell yeah.

So the second he sees Lup enter the arena, he knows exactly what to do. He bets every single credit he's earned so far on her winning. He highly doubts anyone here could conquer her level of spellcasting and the utter destruction he has a feeling she's capable of doing. Most people here relied on melee combat and, well, wizards are made for smashing from afar. This is also a good way to check what she's capable of and she did not disappoint.

Once the battle is over, he waits down by the fighters' exit, leaning up against the wall with a pocket full of credits.]

Nice job, Destructo.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[There's the brother she knows and loves. She grins and claps her hands together, turning to peer in the window at the goods. It all looks pretty hideous at first glance, but they could always resell whatever isn't worth keeping. Some sucker's bound to take it off their hands. And now that he's mentioned it, she can see a path leading towards a back area, glints of colour popping out from the sea of ugly brown, but it's obscured from view.]

Well, we both know what that means- time for another ruckus. Got a plan for this one?

We have the same face, we might as well put it to good use.

[He scoots over and looks in the window, too. He can still see Mr. McDouche Goatee sitting behind the counter with his stupid haughty face. His store is goddamn ugly and yet he's a total ass about anyone coming in and buying anything worthwhile. He actually had the money to get into the back room now, but it's the principle of the thing. He isn't giving this bastard any money if he can help it.]

I know you don't have any spell slots left, so let's do this old school. You go in and ask about something he has to go to the back to get. When he comes back, we'll switch places and go round and round until that guy breaks. I'll toss an illusion up over you, so whenever you're not in view, grab shit and put it on. I'll do the same.

If you can get into that back area? Fucking steal everything.

Oh honey, you better believe that's exactly what I had planned.

[She holds up a finger.]

I have one very fun 4th level spell I've been saving for this, and it's already active. Went scrapping all day yesterday to scrounge up the components for it, but oooh, is it ever good. Get me into the back room, and I won't even leave him a sock.

[Thank god for Barry for teaching her this one, because it's so not her style, usually.]

Well shit, yeah, you do you, Lup. Just tell me how much time you need to get it done.

[Because Taako can be many things, but he can be especially annoying when he wants to be. He pulls a bit of fleece out of his pocket and gets ready to do a Minor Illusion on Lup as soon as she needs it. He'll change her clothes to look like this and change his body to be slightly closer to her body type. Not a huge change, but enough to make them nearly indistinguishable once he changes his highlights to match hers, too. Nice and easy. Voice? Oh, that's easy.

They're going to fucking wreck this guy.]

[Fuck yeah, twin terrors are back on the job- even if one-half doesn't actually know it. Another minute to hash out the details, and two small spells later, Lup - decked out in an illusion of Taako's regalia, shimmering silk and a fantastic hat, marches into the shop with a flourish, mimicking his body language with the practiced ease of someone who's watched him for two hundred years. She lifts an arm in greeting towards the shopkeeper, the other brandishing a bag that jingles with credits, her voice lowered to replicate his as best as her lungs will allow.]

Alright, I give! You got me, homie, I just couldn't walk away. Is that jazzy jacket I saw last time I was here still hangin' in the back? Because I would love to take it off your hands.

[There's a bit of grumbling back and forth, the man seemingly taken aback - perhaps by the reverse attitude of his worst problem customer - but the prospect of a good sale is convincing enough that he wanders off to the back room, rifling through his wares. Lup swiftly ducks away out of sight, firing off a quick Message to Taako outside.]

Your move.

[And in he comes, taking up his spot right where Lup had been a moment before, but now he's back to being himself. The bag of credits is missing and he moves up to sit on the counter, legs crossed with a nail file out.

He sees Lup disappear off into the racks and a moment or two later the owner comes back, surprised to see Taako sitting on his countertop. He proffers the jacket and Taako gives him a scathing look.]

Oh so now you want to show it to me? Look, my man, that jacket? Is so last season by now. Don't you have anything else? Something more befitting someone of my style? A skirt or what about a nice sash?

[The man stops and stares at him, the sudden flip in attitude stunning him. There's a bit of a back and forth as the man argues for the jacket, but Taako isn't having any of it. So the owner sighs and takes the jacket to the back, rummaging about for something different. As he goes, he grumbles about how the amount of credits that had to be worth it.

Mission accomplished, Taako fires off a quick message back to Lup and jumps off the counter, scurrying away to go rip some shit off the racks.]

[As they bicker, Lup is rustling quietly through racks, seeking out whatever looks the most exotic or expensive, since she sure as hell isn't going to find anything fashionable out here. She settles on a finely embroidered leather tunic, slipping it on over her shoulders (and beneath the illusion), and throws on a pair of expensive-looking soft-sole boots as the shopkeeper marches into the back once more. Hastily she scampers to the front, sifting through a rack of plain brown whatevers with a bored look on her face.

When the man returns with a skirt and sash combination, her eyes light up with genuine pleasure this time; the skirt looks in line with Taako's style, but that sash has her name written all over it. More importantly, it confirms what they'd both suspected: there is some good shit in that back room after all. If he'd actually let them back there in the first place he'd perhaps have made a bit of profit, but nope, path of least resistance it is.]

Oh. My. Gods, I think you've found it. Hey, you know what would actually go with this swag? That jacket. [The man stares at her.] Yeah, you heard me. Look at me, I can make it work. Bring me the jacket, find me a fitting room, and I will blow your mind with how good I make your shop look the second I walk out that door. I promise, it's worth it.

[She jingles her credit bag again. It's bigger than it was last time, inexplicably.

The shopkeep glowers at her, but his eyes are greedy as he watches the bag in her hands, so he shuffles back. This time Lup positions herself near the room, ready to scoot by as soon as he's out of sight.]

Take your time with it, I'm going in.

[While she was talking, he was picking through the accessories. Most of them are boring and normal, but a few have the sort of bangles and glitter that he likes. One has some sick red threads of some unidentifiable stone running through orange and yellow metals in a braided pattern over a barrette. He slips all of these into his hair under his hat, and then grabs a few golden bracelets that were hiding under a pile of beige scarves, then slips up over to the dressing room. He leans up against the door, nail file back out and tapping his foot impatiently.

The shopkeep reappears from the back room and Taako glances up, sighing.]

Alright, you need to stay here because if I don't like this ensemble? You're going to have to bring me what I need. And?

[The owner stops in front of him as Taako holds up very well manicured hand, then his eyes follow Taako's finger as he points to the front of the store.]

I'm going to want to try on every single one of those boots - ankle length and knee height. I don't know how sizes work here though, my man, so just keep them coming. I'll take every single one that I like.

[Those shoes are all crimes against humanity, but there are over 30 pairs lined up in the shop window so it'll give Lup enough time as he sends the shopkeep back and forth. The man balks, but Taako produces the bag which is again, a little larger than the last time he saw it, causing his eyes to grow in tandem. The promise of a perfect sale, of getting everything sold at once is too tempting and he scuttles off.

Taako nods and flips the dressing room curtain open. He'll keep the storekeeper busy, running back and forth to the front of the store as he tries on shoe after shoe after shoe after shoe, each time sending them back for a different size or a different color or a slightly higher heel or a better cut of the zipper or more lace. Whatever he can think of to get him to keep them coming. The skirt and the sash? Totally on under his own clothes right now while an illusion of them hanging up in the dressing room remain.

He keeps the shoes coming and then starts sending him off to the front of the store to try the heels instead of the boots. Sandals? Yeah, try those. No, doesn't like them. He keeps them coming from work boots to platforms, whatever he can think of.

And then he starts asking for hats - bowlers and fedoras, sunhats and visors, whatever they have as long as it's at the front of the shop.]

[In the back room there's a small tornado of movement going on. Lup doesn't even bother giving the contents of the room more than a cursory glance- true to her word, she's taking all of it. From her pocket she brandishes a small, miniature carved chest, which she sets close to the floor and taps to activate. Immediately a huge version of the same chest materializes from the ethereal plane, which she pries open and quickly but quietly begins to fling into it everything she can get her hands on- shirts, skirts, shawls and jackets, jewelry, a fabulous wide-brimmed hat that has no business here in this shitsmear of a planet. She listens carefully to the noise going on out front, as Taako critiques and poses, demanding more and more from this poor sap. He must really have been a heel to earn this kind of treatment.

...ooh, that cocktail dress is so going home with her.

It takes a long time to empty out the joint, and the chest is looking almost too full to close - she actually has to sit on it to get the latches down - but thankfully Taako is an expert at talking about himself, so distracting the shopkeep isn't an issue at all. Once the chest is shut, she taps it and the replica again, and the giant one vanishes back to the ethereal plane, to be summoned later.

She tiptoes back to the front one last time, hiding behind a rack of hideous puke-green trousers.]

Killed it, babe, time to bail. Dibs on the sash.

[By the time she's done, Taako is wearing a completely different outfit cobbled together from things around the store and he's looking at himself in the mirror, trying to get the owner of the shop to compliment something about each piece that he has on in order to convince him to buy it. Whenever the compliment isn't up to his standards (and is it ever?) he throws that piece of clothing off and changes back into his original outfit.

He sighs as he gets back to what he was wearing originally, and he whirls on his heel.]

You have one last chance to get this right, my man. Get me that hat from behind the counter. You see that one?

[He points to an atrocious looking hat with a daisy the size of the sun on it sitting on the topmost shelf behind the counter.]

Get me that and I might be tempted to take the whole lot.

[The shopkeep looks frazzled to the end of his wits, but he nods and drags himself over to the counter and gets a ladder to start climbing up to the top of it. As soon as his attention is on the hat, Taako flips off the entire pile of trash, looks to Lup and nods.

Then he Blinks out of existence again. It's the easiest way to get to the front of the shop and thus out of the store. He'll let her have the last word - or no word at all. They could just vanish into thin air and leave this guy with the ruins of his shitty shop if she wants.]

[Oh beautifully done, and exactly the out that she needed. She saunters over to where Taako had been doing his damage, idly stuffing that final sash down her shirt while the man's attention is turned, then glances down at her non-existent watch.]

My goodness! Look at the time, I've got a hair appointment that just won't keep. I know, I know, how could it possibly get more fabulous than it already is, right? Well, that's the mystery I'm about to solve. Hey, don't you make that face at me homie, cha boi's a man of his word. I'm leaving you with my down payment, but I'll be back for the rest. Adios!

[She deposits her hefty bag of credits on the counter and flounces very fashionably out the front door, ignoring his objections as he flails at the top of the ladder. That should keep the man happy for a while- until he realizes it's conjured fool's gold, that is.]

[Taako is waiting outside in the alley, but he's also taken the liberty of adding to Lup's scrawled message while he waited. He's now added, just below her message: Taako fucking rules!

And adorned the message with flames because that seems like her style.

He's sitting under it, pulling the myriad of bangles, necklaces, and hair accessories that he just ganked from that jerkwad off his personage, depositing them into his sack with his goods from earlier. What a rad fucking day this has been.]

[Seriously. She peers around the alley to check on him, her eyes drawn to the wall, and her already sizable grin becomes impossibly wider. It's definitely her style, good choice.]

Hey, so, I love what you're doing here, mm, but we should probably... go. Like, now. He might not notice the front for a while but he'll definitely notice the back, and that fake shit I left him won't cover even half of the stuff I took.

[Time for round 2 of run from the police!]

How 'bout we head to your ship? You can take what you want of the swag and I'll bring the rest to mine.

Holy shit, how much did you get?

[He jumps up and grabs his hat, stuffing all the loose jewelry into there.]

My shuttle's not far from here. I always keep it close in case I need--

[From inside the store there is a scream of disbelief and rage, and Taako freezes.]

Time to go!!

[He spins around, grabs his stuff, and books it right out of the alley, heading toward the back.]

[Aw hell yeah, thrilling getaway! Lup just laughs, glancing over her shoulder and running after him, following his route to the shuttle. By the time the authorities reach the man's shop, they'll be long, long gone.

Should probably be using Disguise Self on this side of the planet for a while, though.

It was so worth it.

Once they're away and up in the air, Lup flings both arms into the air and sets free a loud whoop.]

Fuckin' professionals, baby! Gods that felt good.

[Not only Disguise Self, but maybe they shouldn't have written their names on the side of his building. Eh, whatever. They can blame it on someone else.

For now? He's just going to set the shuttle to autopilot itself back to the ship and then kick his feet up on the dashboard. It's been awhile since he was able to just steal the shit out of whatever he felt like. Usually he had to watch out and make sure Magnus or Merle didn't A) notice and B) ask for a cut.

This time, he had a feeling Lup was going to share evenly and that eventually he'd be stealing and exchanging things with her anyway. Their styles seemed to be similar at the very least and it's not like her ship would know right away if it was her in her room, or him.]

Hell yeah. Been awhile since I got to do something that wasn't entirely life or death.

[She holds a hand up and out between their seats, for a high-five. Successful getaway, hell yeah.]

Right? Feels like ages.

[And it feels amazing to be working together on it again, to do a proper twin heist. It cements in her mind something she's known her entire life: nothing can stop them if they work in tandem. Taako doesn't even remember her and his timing had been perfect, his illusion flawless on her body- his instincts were on point.

Something's there, still. Something is definitely still there.]

We should do that again sometime.

[His hand moves by instinct alone and he reaches up giving her a high five the second her hand is held up, even though he's looking forward. The moment he pulls his hand back though he stares at it. Did he really just high five her without even thinking of it? Why is he getting so familiar with someone he barely even knows? Is it because of her face? Something else?

Taako pulls his hand back and flexes it, putting both hands behind his head. He'll try to play off that moment of doubt casually.]

Yeah, but definitely not this side of the planet. I think everyone heard that guy scream.

[Lup doesn't even bother trying to hide her quiet delight about the high-five, leaning far back in her seat, propping her own feet up against the wall of the shuttle with her arms dangling lazily. Up ahead, the fleet of drifting ships begins to loom closer as they approach.]

I'm not worried. Disguise Self is an easy spell, and when in doubt, there's always Polymorph. We've got ways of making it work.

Yeah........... [He sounds unconvinced, but not because it's her idea. It's because he still has to think about conserving spell slots. He counts them off in his head and considers it.

Would he rather Polymorph something useful? Or Polymorph into a different person?

He misses his Mockingbird Gum now, because it would make his life so much easier when he used Disguise Self. He hums thoughtfully and shrugs.]

Yeah, that'd work. Doesn't look like anything here beside the absolute lack of taste that's going to be of any danger to me. [And Lup, if she decides to turn on him.] I can burn some spells.

Nerd. I know that you're paranoid.

[She gives his arm a playful poke, her smile somewhat pained, but understanding. She's not trusted yet, but that's okay. With Taako, it takes more than a handful of days and one good hustle.]

Let me burn my spell slots, I don't mind. I may not have many like yours, but I used to dabble.

[Evocation hadn't been as useful on the road, and her magical history had been learning transmutation right alongside him. She's got practice. Plus Polymorph lets you turn into monsters to wreck shit with, of course she knows that.]

It's not paranoia if you're right, doofus.

[And he's been proven right on lot of occasions. He sticks his tongue out when she pokes him in the arm, noticing the edge to her smile and wondering why it pained him too. So much about her just made no sense precisely because he had all the pieces and they just somehow failed to stick together. It was infuriating staring at the completed puzzle, but being blind to the picture it revealed.]

You know, just as an aside? It kind of proves my paranoia point when you know how many spell slots I have.

I don't mean spell slots, you goober, I mean actual spells. Most of my shit's evocation and conjuration, because I like to make shit go boom. The weird stuff is more your forte. And yeah, I know I have more slots than you, but you know that, too. Arcana Check?

[She can do those too, y'know.]

I'm just saying, I can do my share.

[It's still weird okay. Everything about her still freaks him out. Occasionally, he can put that aside to have some fun and just let spontaneity kick in, but eventually his hardwired "I have to survive, this will probably kill me" instincts drive on home.

He eyes her and then shrugs. Arcana Check does make sense, even if his checks are rarely ever that...detailed. Maybe she's just really lucky on her rolls.]

No shit - and you're good at it. The arena's gonna need some seeeerious cleaning after all the carnage you wrought.

[Maybe the demo had been a bad idea; maybe coupling that with the umbrella disaster had been worse. She had tried to get him to go, yeah, but ultimately it'd been her call.

Can't do much about it now. She'd still needed that, so it's not as if she regrets it, exactly. Some level of destruction had been absolutely necessary.]

Nooooot my problem. I didn't sign a waiver for that shit.

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