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

Entry tags:

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 drops his head against the wall and hisses out a slow uneven breath, grimacing against the ache that the pain has spread throughout his body.]

Nngh, yeah, Haggar, maybe? I dunno. I talked to someone...they said they were coming.

Hm. [Vash doesn't know Haggar well enough to know what kind of magic she has.] Well, you're stuck with me until they get here and I don't have magic. [He considers that glass in his side.] And that should stay until we can get you somewhere safe. [Vash takes out some gauze with the intention of wrapping up that wound tight even around the glass. Something to add pressure as well as keeping that glass from moving around too much and cutting Taako more.]

Help me. Give me your hand and press here.

How about I just die and not?

[Because pressing anything against the wound is just going to hurt and Taako already hurts enough as it is. He closes his eyes and frowns.]

Shouldn't take long.

[Whether he means Haggar coming or Taako dying isn't clear.]

Nope. I'm afraid dying just isn't allowed. What will your adoring fans think? You don't wan to break their hearts do you?

[He wheezes a little in a sad semblance of a sarcastic laugh.]

Don't have many of those here yet. Could be that I'm just a guest spot. No big if I make a swift exit.

Then you have to stick around and make more, right? Wouldn't it be a shame if you didn't make your mark on this show?

Sure, but--

[He grimaces and slides down the wall a little, his eyes getting heavier.]

...be nice to go back, too. Wouldn't be the first time I died.

Don't care. No dying allowed around me. [Vash takes a pause in his quick patch up job to pinch Taako's cheek hard.] And no sleeping!

[He snaps awake and slaps at Vash's hands before immediately wincing in pain, throwing his head back.]

You son of a bitch - if I still had spell slots, I'd waste one on blowing your dumb ass up!

[The outlaw rolls his eyes before speaking in a mocking tone of voice.] Gee, Vash. It's so kind of you getting out of your bed so late at night to come try to save my dumb ass. I mean, it's not like I was laying here bleeding to death before you showed up. Oh wait! I was! So thank you for being so nice to help me. It's thoughtful of you.

Well, since you thanked yourself, I guess I don't have to.

[He tries to raise a hand to flip Vash off, but it's too shaky. He's barely able to lift his hand from where it fell and his breathing goes ragged, coughing up red.]

Listen if I die, don't-

[Taako grimaces and slumps against the wall again.]

-don't let Lup see the body. Or-or Kravitz. ...Don't let them see what happened.

We won't have to worry about that now will we? [Carefully Vash will start to slide his arm under Taako. This was taking too long so Vash will just take Taako to a healer.] Because you're not going to die. So I won't promise that. [And that way Taako has another reason to not die.]

[He grunts as Vash shifts him, but before Vash can lift him from his position, Taako snaps a hand out and grabs Vash by the collar.]

You promise me or I'll burn the last of my power to set you on fire, broomhead. This is non-negotiable.

No! I'm not promising you just so you can go and die on me! [Those words echo and haunt Vash a little. He said them once before to a close friend and it didn't turn out so well.] So set me on fire if you need to because you're not dying. Not here.

Fine!

[There's a flicker of something in Taako's eyes, the color in them going glassy as he pulls up what little power he has left. Heat radiates from his hand and, although the flames don't appear, it radiates up toward Vash like a furnace door being opened. It's searingly hot and painful--

Then it suddenly vanishes as quickly as it appeared, sputtering out as Taako doubles over.]

Fuckin-- Fuck! Ow, godsdamn that hurts!

[Vash steals himself for the pain. He was serious about not promising even if he planned to do just what Taako asked of him should the worst happen. If making Taako angry was possibly enough to keep him living? It was worth the burn.

Still, he's much happier when Taako fails to set him on fire. Well; happy except for where it seems Taako has hurt himself.] Yeah. So, set me on fire later. And then ask me to promise you that for the next you nearly kill yourself.

[It doesn't matter if the injured man is ready or not. Vash is getting them out of here and to a doctor.]

Oh, so you're fine with me doing a repeat performance? Good to--

[Taako sucks in a pained breath as they start moving. The feeling of the glass in his side scraping against his insides isn't exactly pleasant and talking makes it worse. At least Vash is probably strong enough to handle him if he passes out, right?

He really hopes so because he's about all of two seconds from doing just that.]

[Vash sees that Taako looks like he's about to pass out. He says the first thing that comes into his head that he hopes might keep Taako awake and talking.]

I thought you were suppose to be the best mage around. Don't seem that great to me.

I fuckin'... [He's barely hanging in there now, trying to push back against Vash's ribbing, but having a hard time doing so. Trying to pick his words out is like flailing blindly through a dictionary when it's in a completely unrecognizable language. And backwards.]

--opened a rift between realities, jackass. I'm... better'n...

[And nope, there it goes. His vision blurs and darkens and Taako slumps in Vash's grip momentarily.]

I mean, not a bad idea. Just your execution seems a little off-- Taako? Taako! [Vash knows at least not to shake Taako. Just keep shouting his name.] Don't you dare die. Wake up!

[He quickly gets them into the Twin Roses shuttle. Making sure Taako is as secure he can make him without during further damage. Then Vash will start radioing for more help and take off.]

[Whatever Vash is yelling at him, he doesn't hear it. But at least he listens. Taako doesn't die despite his best unintentional efforts, and after a few days he wakes up in the First Breath's infirmary, staring up at the ceiling. He catches an earful from not only Lup, but Haggar as well and then he's left to rest and take visitors as they decide to come. Most of the time it's just him in the infirmary alone, though, bored out of his mind, but thankful he's alive.

He's not well enough to get out of bed or stand in the kitchen, but at the very least, he can do one thing.

It just takes him awhile - much longer than it should actually - to do it. A few days after he wakes up, Taako sends a simple message to Vash's communicator, sans signature that reads.]

thx 4 making sure i didnt kick the bucket
this is a coupon for a dozen free donuts or whatever
x

Edited 2019-02-21 06:34 (UTC)

Glad you didn't die. And just for the record? I wouldn't have let them see you if you had. So thanks for trying to set me on fire asshole. Think you could make that two dozen?

how about i reduce it to 6 dumbass
don't look a gift horse in the mouth

also i knew i couldnt set u on fire, u weenie
i blew my magical load trying to get out

I am eternally grateful for the kind and wonderful gesture of the dozen donuts you have offered from the good of your heart, Master Taako!!!!!! 😲😲 Sorry it literally blew up if your face. Would have been great if you found a way out.

yeh thats what i thought

but eh its fine
well its not fine but u know what i mean
didnt die so i guess ill get another shot at it someday

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