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

[She snorts, the noise swiftly evolving into a giggle she tries to hide behind her hand. She needs to not make him laugh if it'll hurt him, but it's so good to get the good goofs in again. It helps to distance them from the awful state he's put himself in, and how distressed she is about it.

And she was there, and she did see it, but she can't say that either. Ugh.]

I actually did meet a guy who claimed to be a cleric on the planet- I asked him if he was into plants, but he had no idea what I meant. Is it a Pan thing, or is it just Merle?

It's gotta just be Merle. Puh-leeeeease tell me it's just Merle. I won't be able to function knowing there's an entire sect of religion out there dedicated to being literal tree-fuckers.

[Because while he totally encourages people to live their best lives and do their truth or whatever, the idea of an entire religion wanting to bone a tree is just.

Too.

Much.]

He probably digs the tree arm. Y'know, just.

[She makes a jerking off motion, because what are sisters for if not to make their brothers squirm?]

GODS NO!

[He screeches and grabs his pillow, flinging it at Lup with abandon. He knows - he just knows - he pulls his stitches and starts bleeding again, but?]

I'd rather be dead than think about that!!

[Aaand she laughs. She laughs so hard she falls out of her chair and just lies there cackling like a madwoman, delighted with her victory. She knew that would get him.

...Got her a little too, obviously, because yuck, but totally worth it.]

That's it. I'm expiring.

[He lays back against the bed, groaning over the sound of her laughter. He touches his side and--yep, shit. He's definitely pulled his stitches. Well, fuck it. Let him bleed out and die because it's better than-- NOPE, THE IMAGE IS STILL IN THERE.]

I'm fucking dying and leaving you to carry the burden of that image all by your lonesome.

[She can't see it from here, sorry Taako. Her giggles trail off, and she grabs the pillow he'd thrown at her and sets it behind her head, grinning up at him.]

You're not gonna die. We're keeping an eye on you now, and you've survived worse. Plus your BF would get pissed, he can't even take you to the Astral Plane like this!

There is nothing worse than this, Lup. You've cursed me to die of psychic damage. Critical hit. I'm down to zero.

[He huffs and grimaces, touching his side more tenderly. Yeah, crap. He's going to have to ask for a change of bandages later. That's annoying. And invasive? Maybe? He was unconscious the last time he got wrapped up and isn't so sure how much he'll enjoy--

Wait.

Did she just say "BF?" As in "boyfriend?"]

Oh my gods, did Kravitz blab to you. I swear if I don't die first, I'm going to kill him.

I cast Spare the Dying! You'll be fine.

[She wiggles her fingers at him, mimicking some cleric gesture she saw Merle do like fifty years ago or something, and then - when the words sink in - she sits up abruptly, clapping her hands together.]

Oh, rad! So you're official, then? For realsies? Finally!

You aren't a--

[She sits up abruptly and Taako flinches away, realizing how he's walked right into a trap. Damn him and his big mouth. He was certain he could have been better about keeping his damn mouth shut if he'd had more to do than blow himself up and lie around in an infirmary bed.]

No. [Is denying it worse though? He pauses briefly.] Maybe.

[And stops again, then throws his arms over his face to stop her from looking at him. It pulls his stitches worse, but they were going to have to be redone anyway.]

Look, don't make a deal out of this. It's already weird enough.

What's weird about it? It's obvious he's totally smitten with you. [A beat, while she realizes-] And that's coming from someone who's only seen him with you in passing! So you can't tell me that you haven't noticed.

[Not the best recovery, but it's not as if she can say that she went on every one of their dates for months before Wonderland. Not the story she's ready to tell, for sure.]

Plus, like- look at him? Tall dark and handsome, and a nice guy, hello?? Keep that fish.

Because he's totally-- [Taako groans. He just blew himself up. He only woke up today a few hours ago. Can he not have this insanely awkward conversation with the person who shares his face today?

He presses the heels of his hands into his eyes and winces as his fingers scrape a few cuts on his face.]

He's from the future, okay? It makes shit a little complicated. Ch'boy don't do complicated unless it's me being the complex mysterious one, mkay?

Sounds like you are the one complicating things by overthinking it. Nerd.

[She huffs and pushes herself back to her feet, dusting herself off and retrieving the pillow. She shifts closer and bops it gently on the top of her head.]

But fine, I won't pry. But I'm totally gonna pick your brain about it when you're feeling better, so give it some thought, at least. [Her expression softens.] You deserve to be happy, you know. ...Even if you're an idiot.

Well duh I deserve to be happy. I'm Taako.

[He moves when she hits him with the pillow, one hand still over his face and the other reaching out for it.

And that's the problem. He wants to be happy. And he while he's benefiting from future!Taako's apparent plethora of dates with Kravitz and isn't about to turn that down, he also has no idea what Kravitz already knows, what Taako did or didn't tell him, what they even did together. It was why he'd gone so slowly, so cautiously with him even while his entire body was screaming for more.

If he fucked it up here, would he be screwing over his future happiness? What if Kravitz went back? What if he was left alone?]

Gimme the pillow back. I pulled my stitches because of your stupid Merle shit and I'm bleeding.

Wh- ah, shit, sorry. My bad on that one.

[She relinquishes the pillow - she'd been about to give it back, anyway - and instead focuses her attention on his side, scrutinizing what she can see of the damage beneath the bandage. It's hard to gauge, but the fresh blood isn't promising.]

Okay, sit up. I can't heal you or anything, but I can get you cleaned up and with a fresh set while Witch Doctor's gone.

[She turns around, quickly scanning the lab for where basic medical supplies are stored. It's not that different from the Heron's lab, so she finds what she wants quickly enough.]

She been hanging around a lot while I've been out?

[While she's looking around, he manages to prop himself back up with the pillow. It isn't the greatest sitting position, but actually sitting up is a no-go right now. He tries, certainly, but the piercing pain that rips through his side is enough of a warning that he gives up a quarter of the way to upright.

Taako peels the bandages back, biting his lip as the adhesive pulls at his skin. This is the first time he's seen the wound and?

It's...really not pretty.]

Gods... fuck me. I wish I'd had Shield going now.

She's been doing her job, yeah. And worrying about you, like the rest of us.

[In her own way, that is. Haggar is a cryptic person, but in the time Lup's taken to get to know her better, she's recognized that inexperience doesn't equal indifference. She does give a shit, which for Lup can be pretty rare. Best to treasure it while she can.

She returns in a minute with fresh bindings, disinfectant, clean fabric, and some fresh water- all the fixings.]

Stop, stop that, dingus. Let me wet it down so it doesn't stick, first. And this is gonna hurt, so try biting the pillow.

[She waves his hands away and dabs the fabric with water, warming it up in her palm with a big of magic and pressing it firmly against the bloody area. It's gonna suuuuck, but he needs pressure on it to help with that nasty bloodflow so his fresh bandages don't end up instantly soaked, too.]

[He snorts at her assertion that any of them were worried about him. Maybe worried about losing a meal ticket or a crew member, but about him? As a person? Hardly.]

At least her hair can't go any whiter from it. But what d'you mean bite the--

[When she presses against the wound, he clamps his mouth shut, banging a fist on the bed to keep from hissing aloud in pain. Yep okay that definitely hurt like she said it would. Does it make it easier if he squeezes his eyes shut and pretends the wound isn't there? Because he's doing that right now, head bowed and praying that no one heard his outburst.]

Mmmmmkaaaay yeah, I...I get it. Coooool, sure.

[She winces sympathetically, but she doesn't pull her hand away; it's a necessary evil, unfortunately. She does feel bad, though, since it's sort of her fault. ...Half her fault. The fact that he's injured at all is still on him, obviously.]

Mage Armor's a good spell for this sort of thing, too. I'll keep nagging you about it until you remember.

[She waits until the bandage is saturated enough that it doesn't cling, then gently peels it free, bending to check the wound underneath. It's still fresh and looks... horrid, in truth, but she's seen a lot of injuries and a lot of awful deaths over the years, so it doesn't phase her as much as it might with someone less experienced. She doesn't like that she's used to seeing her friends and family in such a state (and thankfully Taako less than most), but at least in this instance it helps. The stitches have pulled, but they're not so loose that they need replacing. She'll need to tell Haggar what happened since she doesn't trust Taako to do it himself, but he should be okay for a while.

She replaces the wet cloth with a clean, dry one - with a quick verbal warning to Taako again - and goes back to keeping pressure on the wound until the bleeding ebbs.]

Makes me wish I'd tried multiclassing as a cleric, or like, a druid or someshit. I just couldn't wrap my head around kissing ass with a random deity or gushing over trees.

[Oh yeah...that thing. He always forgets that's a spell he's learned since he's always had the Human Meat Shield™ since he'd started adventuring. When he'd been doing the spell, he'd also needed his full concentration and power reserved for it. Well hindsight and all that.

He grunts and tries hard not to pull away as she presses her hand against his side, cursing in Elvish under his breath.]

Can't-- Can't see you doing the whole kumbayah religion thing. And if you gushed over trees, you'd be too close to Merle.

[She notes the curse but does not acknowledge it, her only reaction a tight smile.]

Yeah, no lie, that's half of my reluctance. Plus buffs are noooot my style. If you kill the thing you're fighting fast enough, you won't need any healing, right?

[And they got used to not much healing while working alongside Merle, anyway. Better to focus on the offensive.]

Yeah, I just kinda waited for Magnus to finish punching whatever it was in the face and hoped it wasn't alive by then.

[Taako? Taako liked to stay in the back where it was safe, thank you very much. He winces again and fidgets against the pressure on his side. Thinking of the the other two idiots reminds him of how much he - gods strike this thought from his mind - misses them. He'll gladly rib on Merle, but remembering that neither he nor Magnus are here is...uncomfortable.

To distract himself, he starts picking at the cloth, trying to look under it.]

So am I still bleeding to death or what?

You weren't bleeding to death to begin with. It probably feels worse than it actually is- Haggar did a good job with what she has to work with.

[She does check his wound again, now that some time has passed, and is satisfied enough that it's okay to patch up and pulls back, fetching the proper bandages. There's no sign of infection at least, so she forgoes the disinfectant and bullies her way close, sitting on the edge of the bed and very gently winding the fabric around him.]

Sorry, [she mumbles under her breath, while she's close enough for him to hear it. Her eyes are fixed to the wound, not watching his expression. She knows he doesn't like it when she gets too cozy, but she can't bandage him without doing this.]

Well it feels pretty damn shitty, so that's good?

[He'd caught a glimpse earlier and it wasn't pretty. He definitely needs to find someone here to get rid of that scar or he was going to need to start burning Disguise Self on that part of his skin for...like ever. It isn't as bad as it could be since it isn't in an obvious place, but this absolutely will ruin his chances at wearing a crop top and that just can't be allowed.

Lup sits on the bed and he huffs in annoyance at the whole situation, rolling his eyes as she starts winding the bandages around him. It's only when she apologizes that his eyes flick over to her, ears twitching.]

...Sorry for what? [He knows what, but right now he just doesn't have the real energy to get into that little can of worms.]

Stopping me from bleeding? You really don't have to apologize for that. Taako's good with staying alive.

[She bites her lower lip, not responding for a long moment. She focuses on wrapping the bandage around once, twice. Up this close she can smell him, the scent of blood and chemicals and hospital instead of whatever soaps and perfumes and foods he's decided upon for the day. She can hear his laboured breathing, the pained hitch in his voice.

She hates this. That she can't just hold him like she wants to, to comfort him and scold him and tease him without dancing around everything between them, that the only way she gets her arms around him is to keep his bloody guts in his stomach. She hates this, and she's tired, and she haaaates this.

There's so many ways she can respond to him right now.

What she says as she pulls back, instead, is-] I'm sorry that you're a complete dingus. If there was a spell that could fix that little defect in your noggin, I'd cleric-it-up and learn that one first!

[Her ears are low but her lips curve high as she grins at him, because that's easier than the truth, because he knows how to respond to a tease and not what's in her heart. He's still recovering, and he deserves better.]

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

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