driftfleet | i'm going on hiatus so taako's going on forced vacay!

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i'm going on hiatus so taako's going on forced vacay!

Who: Taako and everyone who will want to beat his ass for being dumb
Broadcast: Yes
Action: Iskaulit, later First Breath
When: Forward dated to December 27th. I'm going on hiatus from the 24th to the 5th so Taako will be resting from his massive goof-up until then!

Iskaulit: Late Night
This planet was the perfect location. After hearing that they rarely came to such singing worlds, Taako knew he couldn't wait in case his work was discovered or destroyed in the interim. After all the festivities had wound down and he'd finished making his rounds and showing his face where he was needed, Taako retreated to the Iskaulit, to a room down in the depths that he'd excavated out of the bowels of the ship. It was deep enough that if things went wrong - not that they would because this was Taako after all, he wasn't an amateur, but if they went wrong - no one else would be caught up in the wayward magical energies. He had a multitude of books filled with notes and information gleaned from the library and from conversations with people here and an endless supply of magic as long as he kept drinking that glowing blue water. And, just in case, before he'd sealed himself up in here, he'd sent Lup a package with a copy of all his notes. If anyone could figure this out if he failed, it'd be her.

He'd checked and rechecked his diagrams as he drew the magic circles across every surface in his square room, carving them into the very walls and filling them in slowly and painstakingly with the right color stone. The more stable the circles, the more stable the magic - something he'd gleaned from Belthazar's notebook. He'd measured and remeasured and tried his best to get the surface of the circular gem beneath his feet to be an absolute perfect circle. And finally, here he was, ready wth every component and piece in place. If this worked - and it would, natch, it was him, it would work - he'd have a window into his Plane and vice versa. If the Raven Queen could seize on that moment to push some power through, it would mean Kravitz would be able to rip a hole out of this place. And if that didn't work, maybe Taako could get a message to Magnus or Merle or-- no, let's be real, he'd contact Angus because he was probably the only capable smart person he knew and he wasn't sure if he trusted the Director anymore, if he ever did. Angus would figure this out or Kravitz would rip in and out of this plane, and they'd all be home again easy peasy.

Taako took a deep breath, pressed his hands against the smooth gem beneath him, and concentrated. "Here goes nothing."

The water he'd pulled up and placed at strategic points around the room glowed like beacons, the burn of power in his stomach grew warmer, and the lines of his diagrams jumped to life like a blinding fire. Wind pulled at Taako's hair and clothes, whipping them around as he channeled all his energy into the magic circle and the gem. The world was filled with buzzing, magnificent power, and Taako pressed it, pushed it, and formed it to his will. He could feel things clicking into place, and he could feel the universe press back against him, an overwhelming force, resisting his will, resisting the change. But Taako was nothing if not stubborn, and the arcane magics puffed like glowing mists from his lips as he forced the world to listen to him and it did - for a brief, brilliant moment.

And, like some sort of cruel joke, the gem beneath him cracked in a grim mocking smile and Taako saw all his hard work unravel in slow motion around him. An arc of power shot out from the cracks like lightning and scored the ceiling and walls, ripping through the magic circles. That damage sent out other bolts of energy, shredding his protections and tearing the magic containments apart. He barely had time to register that he might honestly die right now before the world erupted and all that energy and power and fire came crashing back in on itself - and on him.

Iskaulit Action & Broadcast
[Sometime, late at night, when most reasonable people are asleep after all the revelry on the planet, there is a massive explosion that rocks the bowels of the Iskaulit. The ship shakes like a minor earthquake and settles no worse for wear. Ten minutes later, a communication goes out: Taako is bleeding heavily from a cut on his forehead, he's covered in ash and a million other little injuries and coughing weakly. Behind him is a smouldering wreck of a room, jagged shards of blackened glass jutting out of the walls.]

If anyone's near the Iskaulit? Shit, I hope someone's nearby. Is this even the right network? Fffffuuuuuck it. [Taako clears his throat as best he can, slumping against a clear spot on the wall.]

Yeah hey, I uh - it's me, ya boy Taako, and well? [He takes a shaky breath.] I messed up. Yeah, yeah, I know - stupid dumb Taako, my bad - but save the yelling for later, mkay? 'Cause I'm, uh.... I think I'm gonna need a cleric. [He looks down off camera and winces.] Like no biggie, but...

[He rolls the camera down and it shows a piece of that jagged glass stuck through his side, red blood is quickly staining more and more of his shirt and hand where it's pressed against the wound.]

It's kinda? Urgent? Pretty sure...I'm gonna lose consciousness... like... mmmmm, pretty soon.

Oh and uh sorry for the whole...not PG13 gross blood thing. I...m...... [He hisses in pain and his voice starts trailing off as he drops the communicator.] Sonovabitch...... fuckin' dice........ rolls..........

First Breath Action
[Once he's rescued and stablized, Taako spends the first three days after his failure sleeping - or trying to sleep, or pretending to sleep to avoid talking to people. When he can't do that any longer without looking like he's gone into a coma, he stays in his room, alternatively sulking and checking his notes over again to find out what went wrong. He's here until the pain subsides and his magic comes back, having blown a shitload of it on the spell, enough that he feels tapped out. Anyone who wants to yell at him is free to come over. It's not like he can get up and leave right now.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He doesn't mean to hurt her like this. He just can't stop himself sometimes, especially when something touches on a sore spot for him. He's never been a cruel person - or so he likes to think - but Taako knows he can be mean or ornery or callous when he wants to be. It's a great way to keep people away. Be a little mean and they'll stop wanting to get close. If they aren't close, then they can't really hurt him when they inevitably leave or break his trust or straight up try to murder him.

But even when Taako is mean to Lup, she just looks defeated. It's like kicking a puppy who only wants to love you. It's not a love that Taako can return though, so he doesn't dare try.]

...Who knows. [She might be a stalker, she might be a fangirl, or she might actually be someone to him - someone whose existence was eaten by the voidfish.

Or she might be something else entirely.]

There're alternate realities and timelines here - there's two versions of the same person here even.

[Maybe he's just not her Taako. The one she so clearly cares about and the one who might have cared about her in return.]

Maybe I'm just not the Taako you know.

[Those words give her pause, because she knows, she knows in her heart that it's him, that he's her Taako. He's her anchor, their souls are, in a very real sense, tethered, and that sort of thing wouldn't work if he was from another reality. Even without that bond between them, there are far too many other similarities, too many ways that their worlds are connected.

But she can't just come out and say that, can't just go "no, I'm a lich and my soul is anchored by yours, so it's definitely you." Yeah, that'd go over great. She can kiss that friendship goodbye forever.

Slowly she sits up again, dragging her hands down her face and peering at him for a long moment through her fingers. Think, think. What's something that they both share, something that would be too small and inconsequential to carry across a similar alternate dimension? Something she knows without a shadow of a doubt that he would recognize and understand, even if her part of it is missing.

...ah.

Lup lifts her right foot, resting it on the edge of his bed, and rolls up the material of her pant leg, baring her skin. Likely a very weird gesture until she reaches her knee and turns her leg just enough to expose a small, thin discoloured line that clashes with the otherwise clear skin. She runs her hand across it, just in case he has any immediate doubts of it being either an illusion or some kind of costume make-up.]

Ten years old- playing with a sharpened stick that was way too heavy.

[He shifts out of the way as she pops her leg up, both cautious and taken aback by the action. He has no idea what the hell she's doing until he spies the scar and feels his stomach drop. How the hell? He'd been alone when he was doing that, showing off for no one in particular, and yet...? He'd been showing off for someone, right?

"Check me out. I'm an adventurer--OW FUCK!"

His right leg tenses at the sight of the scar. It could be a weird carry-over, but it hadn't been significant enough in his life. One scar among many as he'd learned cooking and started traveling and hadn't had enough money to pay clerics for the heal. It wasn't even particularly the beginning of his adventuring life because his parents were still alive and he'd had no idea that things were going to go sour in a couple years.

He stares at the scar for a moment, then glances up at Lup before looking away.]

Okay, that's weird.

[He was certain he was alone back then, but... As he tries to remember that scene though, he spies it again - that patch of static out of the corner of his eye.

Fuck. Taako raises a hand to his forehead, closing his eyes as it fades away.]

Yeah okay, fine, not an alternate reality.

[Lup doesn't push further, just quietly withdraws her leg and fixes her pants, brushing her hands over her knees as if it could wipe away the awkwardness like dust. She doesn't speak for a moment, hands clasping together in her lap.]

So, listen, about what happened... I get it. You won't say it, but I know what you're worried about. And anything I say to try and alleviate that worry is just gonna be all talk to you. Fuck it, though- I'm gonna say it anyway, because it's gotta be said: I'm not going anywhere. No matter what happens, what either of us say or do, no matter what those bastard Atroma put us through. I won't abandon you, not now or ever. You don't have to believe me, and I don't expect you to. Doesn't make it any less true. [She lifts her head, finally cracking a smile.] You'll find that I am waaaaay more stubborn than you are.

[She's right that it sounds like bluster and empty reassurances that he can't put any faith in. He's been burned too many times, had too many people promise the same thing, only to wake up and find them gone. He can't trust what she says, but that doesn't stop it from being nice to hear. Even if he's gotten jaded over the years, he's always hoping that this time, maybe they're not lying to him.

He can hope the same for her, but with a healthy dose of skepticism.

One day, she'll prove him right. Until then, he'll cautiously let himself hope while keeping himself safe from harm. When she looks up at him, trying her best to smile, he regards her coolly. He just did the world's stupidest thing and he woke up to her holding his hand. He may have doomed them but she was still here. He pushed her away and she kept coming back. Even when she pushed him, she was always the first to come back.

He remembers how she looked not too long ago, when she passed him the Umbra Staff, the fear in her that he might slam the door in her face.

Taako watches her for a moment longer and then sighs, shrugging and then immediately wincing as his body makes him regret that choice.]

--Nngh, yeah sure, whatever. It's not like I can stop you.

[Okay, well. She's done what she more or less set out to do- tore him a new one, kept him safe while he slept, made sure he knew (or at least was told and can do with as he pleases) that she's still got his back, even if she's pissed as hell. That means she can try and find equilibrium again, somehow. She's been the bratty younger sister, time to be the doting older sister now. (When you don't know who is actually the elder twin, it's important to juggle both roles)

First things first: she doesn't want him to turn into skin and bones while he heals from this. With a soft exhale she dusts her hands together and sits up straight.]

If you're not going to sleep, let me at least get you some food. Your ship's mostly been left to fend for itself while you've been out, but I whipped up some nice stew earlier, and you've gotta be hungry. It should be easy to get down the hatch, even in your sorry state.

[He isn't even sure if he can eat, or if he's even hungry. His stomach and body hurt, but it could be from hunger or just from the pain. Either way, it would give Lup something to do other than berate him or worry, so he nodded and let out a sigh.]

Good of you to take care of the boneheads. Most of 'em can't even figure out how to put a salad together without me.

[He goes quiet for a moment, then turns his face away and huffs.]

...Hey Lup?

[She laughs at his first comment - he ain't wrong there - but she's in the process of standing and stretching when he continues, making her pause, lowering her arms again.]

Yeah? What's up, bud?

[It isn't like him to hold back or hesitate on what he has to say, so she's somewhat on edge as she waits.]

[He hesitates a moment or two longer, then pulls the covers up to his chin. He keeps his face turned away, staring at the bland lab walls.]

...Thanks.

[It's said quietly and with an uncharacteristic bit of vulnerability, but he means it.

A moment later and he adds:]

Nerd.

[Can't be completely nice, right? He's got a rep to uphold.]

[She's glad he's looking away from her, because the words immediately shift her expression - first to a soft, grateful affection, then to an amused smile - because so often the way she looks at him makes him uncomfortable. She can't help it, and neither can he, and she's seen it enough to recognize another cause of his frustration. Better to avoid it when she can.

She exhales an amused huff of almost-laughter, turning and waving at him over her shoulder. ]

Don't mention it, dorkus.

[And she's off to get that stew. Hopefully he can get some rest or at least a bit of peace while she's gone.]

[And he won't - because admitting anything about today was pretty much a non-thing. He'd go to his grave (potentially soon, if the Atroma decided to do more than just make his spell go awry) without ever letting anyone know about this little conversation, or how it was actually...nice. It was nice to think that someone would actually stick around, and despite all odds, he felt like he could maybe even trust Lup to keep her word.

Still, he scoffs when she responds, giving a half-hearted shrug as she leaves. The quiet after she leaves is both welcome and horrible. It leaves him with nothing to focus on but the pain and the failure which crash back on him like wave. Taako's glad Lup isn't here because once he's certain she's gone, he lets out a shuddering breath and curls in on himself as much as his side will allow. He eventually slides into a trance again, choosing a vague oblivion over reality which will eventually have to come with a vengeance.[]

[She's gone for maybe fifteen or twenty minutes, just enough time to return to the kitchen, re-heat and scoop out a light portion of the stew, as well as prepare some water and sliced fruit- ones he likes mixed with those that'll be easy to swallow and give him some much needed energy. There's an extra portion for her to nibble on, since she hasn't given herself much time to eat either, opting to focus on keeping an eye on him. Plus it'd be weird to just sit there staring at him or doing nothing while he eats.

He's asleep or trancing again when she returns, and she's glad of that, entering quietly as she can and setting the tray down on the table next to his bed. If he doesn't wake up immediately she makes no move to get his attention, sitting back down with her communicator in hand to wait it out. Prestidigitation can keep the stew hot for him, and she'd much rather he get some rest, since he keeps fighting her on that.]

[He's too on edge to really sleep or trance properly. The pain medication stops the worst of it, but even dulled, the edges are jagged and make it difficult to get comfortable. When she comes back, he hears her, but chooses to stay in the floating realm between consciousness and consequence as long as possible.

The smell of food is tempting though and tugs at his stubborn refusal to acknowledge that anything exists outside of himself at the moment. His body betrays him though, his stomach rumbling quietly as his ear flicks back.]

Traitor.

[He shouldn't even be hungry. His insides are still rearranging themselves back to where they're supposed to be. It's unfair.]

[Her response is a faint giggle, and the quiet swish of fabric as she sits up. She touches a hand to the stew, giving it a fresh jolt of arcane energy to stir and warm it, the scent wafting through the air even more emphatically.]

Come on, dumbass, up you get. You'll feel better once you're fed.

[She stands by, ready to help him sit up if he needs it, assuming his pride allows.]

I'm pretty sure if I eat, it'll just leak through all the holes.

[His protests are instinctual and rote, but he's already trying to sit up. It's slow and painful and laced with inventive elven curses, but he gets up and settles back against the pillow with a lengthy exhale. He doesn't accept the help because he doesn't think he deserves it. This pain is something he has to suffer through, even if he hates it, because of what he's cost them. He's not going to refuse food, but everything else, he'll deal with on his own.

Still, once he's up, he holds out a shaky hand for the stew bowl. His stomach certainly doesn't seem to care he's full of holes.]

If you spill one drop of that damned delicious stew, maybe you're the alternate reality.

[Her tone is playful, at least, in a more jovial mood than she'd been the first time he woke up with her. Seeing him conscious and getting her concerns out in the open has eased some of her fear, at least for now. She's certain that he'll give her plenty to worry about later.

For now she passes the bowl over.]

Whichever reality I am, I'm glad to know I'm still the prettier one.

[Even if he doesn't feel like it right now. He's takes the bowl and rests it half on his chest so he doesn't have to move that much to eat. His limbs still feel like lead, his movements either shaky or sluggish, and he knows it isn't a good look. His pride some let him ask for help though, and he powers through, taking a few spoonfuls of stew and relishing the warm feeling it leaves behind.

It's fucking good stew and reminds him weirdly of home in a way he can't put a finger on.]

I'm sad to say this is probably wasted on my crew. They wouldn't know good cuisine if it came alive and ate them.

[She snorts indelicately.]

Yeah, you wish.

[They could argue for days over their looks, though- it's just a thing she's gotten used to here. Once he's comfortable with his bowl, she leans back and examines her nails, picking at a bit of the extra fruit she'd brought.]

Whether they like it or not- I don't care. Not like I'm opening a restaurant, and anyway, I didn't really make it for them.

[She's vain enough about her cooking, and she's got her own passions about food, but Taako's the actual, legitimate chef between them. She'd much rather be recognized for other accomplishments.]

[Taako stops suddenly and groans, dropping his head back as he's suddenly reminded of another thing he let slide. Hopefully he hasn't been out too long.]

Fuuuuuck, that's right; the restaurant.

[Fingers crossed they managed without him. They'd been doing just fine before he arrived, so surely they survived while he was out a few days, right? Or a week. It might take longer than he likes to get back on his feet again.]

How long does it take for things to heal? I forgot since I got Merle to start stitching me back up whenever he remembers he's a cleric.

[She quirks a brow and gives him a look.]

With that hole you put in your stomach? Could be weeks, maybe a month. Don't fuss too much over it, though. They survived without you before you showed up- they can manage until you're better.

[So don't push it, dingus!]

[And that was the problem. Taako stops eating, letting the spoon rest in the bowl. They managed without him up to now, so he's been working hard to make himself useful. To find his place. To do something so they wouldn't just...leave him.

He'd been doing the same for his crew, but, well, they didn't really seem to care so much about what he did. His position with them was tenuous at best. They weren't adventurers, they were more skilled than he was, and he...

He touches the "hole" in his stomach and grimaces.]

Y-yeah, they'll probably be fine. You're right.

[Oof... that mood shift, it's damned tangible; she'd have felt if even if she didn't know Taako well, and since she does it feels even worse. That look on his face is like a kick in the teeth. She pauses for a long moment, brows furrowed, then snags another piece of fruit, squeezing the juice into her water cup and spearing it on the edge.]

...Sure, they'll be fine- as in, they won't starve to death. They'll just go back to the shitty synthetic garbage they were eating before you got here. That's fine, right? To give 'em a reminder of how good they've had it for the last few months?

[She smirks, raising her glass in a little salute.]

In fact, I don't think I'll do any more cooking for them, after all. Got enough on my plate already. Let them miss you for a while!

[He knows his food is good. He knows he's a good chef - the best, honestly, that any of this morons would ever get. He knows they're lucky to have him standing even for a short time at their shitty little kitchens, turning the gels into pure culinary gold.

But there's always that part of him that sees the worst and there's always a part of him that sees those forty people anytime he stands at the counter. They survived well enough without him. He's a luxury item and luxury is the first thing to go when survival comes into account. He doesn't trust any of them not to drop him as soon as he's outlived his usefulness. He's about 99% certain that he'll get left behind at any given moment, especially now that he's blown up part of the Iskaulit and effectively ruined a work-in-progress spell to get people out of here.

The way Lup tries to reassure him though, he realizes he's being too vulnerable, probably a byproduct of being in pain and hazy after just waking up. Stupid dumb Taako.

He huffs out a little laughter and then plasters on his usual grin, the sort that most people were content to see and move on. He was fine. He'd be fine. Even if he got ditched, he'd survived worse. He could start over.]

Pfft, if those idiots haven't figured it out after day one of how awesome I am, then they don't deserve me. Let 'em suffer. They won't last an hour past dinner.

Oof, I don't want to hear the complaining. Mental note to lock the door.

[She has a feeling he's being evasive again, but that's no surprise. Honestly, it's more of a shock (pleasantly so, to be trusted like that) when he's open enough with her for her to not have to make guesstimates on what he's feeling or thinking based on how they grew up together, rather than him just showing her. It's rare, and it used to happen a hell of a lot more often, but after more than a decade of nothing she's felt a bit spoiled lately.

What a mess they've become, but... she's a bit grateful, anyway.

Rather than call it out, she merely gestures to his bowl.]

Don't let that get cold, there's no reason you have to suffer along with the rest of those doofs.

Mm.

[It's a noncommittal answer, but he lifts the spoon again, eating if with less gusto than before. Which doesn't say much because he's still weak as shit and didn't have much gusto in the first place. But he still eats and gets about a quarter through the bowl before he stops and sets it aside. It seems like a waste, but any more and he has a feeling he might actually start leaking like he joked about earlier.

With a huff, he grimaces and shifts in the bed.]

Is healing supposed to be this uncomfortable because I feel like maybe dying would make this hurt less.

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