( open ) ; tell me about the days where your body feels nothing like a body

[spellslots]

who: Taako + you
what: A spa day, a fight with a god, and a bad time
when: Novemeber
where: Around!!
warnings: Violence in the threads with Thor & Dodger. Vague Thor 3 spoilers in the thread with Thor.



cisco; tired little laughs, gold-lie promises

[They've all had a shitty month and it feels like a perfect excuse to splash out a little at the fanciest fucking spa Taako can get them into; he catered an event here a few months ago and made sure to keep in touch with the event manager, so the discount isn't anything to scoff at, and he's gone all out in the treatments they're getting.

But after a massage (nice), manicure (even nicer), and a dip in the pool (hella nice), Taako has dragged Cisco to try out the sauna where they can chill for a little while. He tried to bring a glass of sparkling in but was gently deterred by one of the staff, which is rude but probably for the best, since he's already on his way to decidely tipsy.

On the plus side, that helps him finally bring up something that's been on his mind for a while; once Taako is comfortable and the room is full of steam, he casts a lazy look at Cisco.]

Can I ask you a question, my man?

thor; what's a god to a nonbeliever?

[If he's being honest with himself, this is probably a very bad idea, but Taako tries not to be honest with himself and anyway, he's been itching for another fight since the tangle with the cultists, as if that wasn't quite satisfying enough. Or maybe he's just finally remembered how fun it is to wreck some dipshits, since things are so damn quiet in the Quarantine. Either way, there isn't any real danger in what he's doing here; Thor might hurt him, but he won't kill Taako, and there's not much else that a potion can't fix.

It's been a long time since he's had to prepare for a one on one, but Taako doesn't get too involved with it (a lot of his attention has gone towards studying the books he borrowed from the cultists), he gets dressed in his regular adventuring gear and makes sure he's got all his useful items on him, just in case he can use any of them. The umbra staff is in his hand, as per usual, and he has a little mental list of spells that he thinks will work for this. He can't exactly predict how the fight will go, but he knows what his personal priorities are and has a handful of backups in mind. His hair is braided out of the way and he's left most of his jewellery at home, just in case.

Between Bryn, Loki and the members if the IPRE in the Quarantine, they've got a little crowd nearby to watch the show, and that only makes Taako more into it, because he gets to show off.]

You ready to go, or are you gonna need a little more time to warm up?

[He's just being a shit, but it's good natured.]

open; now I've got you here I'll never lead you back

[The month starts of… mostly fine; there's the awkwardness with Magnus and Taako finds himself a little more irritable than usual, but he's brushed it off as a side effect of everything dredged up by the ghosts and the memories he's been forced to share and relive. He'll get over it eventually, and at least he has a project to throw himself into. The handful of books he brought back from the cultists hideout are full of weird and interesting magic that he wants to decipher, if only to make sure no one does that shit again.

By the fourth, he's starts to feel as though someone's watching him whenever he leaves the house, and he starts picking up the pace whenever he has something to do outside, eschewing taxis out of some misplaced worry that they aren't safe. He ends up on Garyl a lot, since he's faster on Garyl than he is on foot, and no one can mess with the illusory horse that he summoned. It makes of a bit of a curious look, this stupid wizard elf making his way through the streets on a unicorn, but it offers him a sense of safety that he's struggling to maintain, right now.

As more time passes the feelings start to get worse, enough that a visit from Cisco and way too many security cameras don’t help to alleviate the paranoia. He has a feeling it must be someone from the cult, having escaped during the fighting and coming back for the items he took, which makes him more eager to figure out the magic in them so he can know how to protect himself.

Every day, he carefully reinforces the wards around their house, stretching them out a little further each time, bolstering them with small spells that don't just block, but also harm anyone who tries to get past them. The magic around the houses shifts from protective to violent, something that's echoed in the way Taako conducts himself.

He's short and sharp with people whenever he has to interact with them, whether it's at the markets or clothes shopping or out at a bar. For a long time, he tries to push past the paranoia to maintain his usual routine, but that just gives him more places to feel snappish and irritated, and it paints a bigger target on his back for whoever's watching him. Even going out for a drink becomes a struggle; he picks a fight with someone because he's sure they were watching him and ends up getting swiftly escorted out after throwing a bunch of lightning around.

Despite everything going on, he's always immaculately put together, more so than usual, as if he can cover up how rattled he's feeling by making sure his outfit and hair are always perfect. The same can't be said for the state of his room; while he's not the tidiest person in the world, it grows worse during the month, as he eschews things like cleaning up in favour of practicing spells and still trying to decipher those fucking books.

It's gonna be a long month.]

Comments

[spellslots]

Well, surprise, I guess.

[He doesn't see any reason to question how long Thor went before realizing this, maybe there's a reason it's happening now that Taako isn't privy to, or maybe it's something else entirely. ]

And don't sweat it, I'm kinda pissed you won, but I feel like I got a few good shots in. You should probably learn to control that shit though.

[worldsaway]

I'll work on it.

[He's not sure how, but it's something he'll be looking into at the very least.

Thor holds out a hand for a shake.]

You had me worried. No doubt, that's why I lost my composure.

[spellslots]

[Taako would offer to help, but he might save that for a later conversation because he's pretty sure Lup would destroy them both, so for now he just grins and shakes Thor's hand.]

I'll take that. [Wait, he has to be a little bit terrible, just to convince everyone (and himself) that he's not rattled by what happened.] This was my first time with a god, after all.

[worldsaway]

[Thor chuckles, and the offhand comment prompts him to draw Taako in for a pointedly gentle hug.]

I'd say we should do it again sometime, but I fear neither of us would make it out alive.

[He lets Taako go.] You should get some rest.

[spellslots]

[Oh, okay a hug is happening, that's cool, he can handle that. He even gives Thor a little pat on the back.]

Cause Lup would kill us before we even got started?

[He steps back when Thor releases him, bending down to pick up the umbra staff and brushing off the dirt.

As for resting...]

I'm pretty sure we promised Bryn an after party and I'm expecting some apology drinks outta you. But go talk to Loki first, he might have some advice about this shit.

[worldsaway]

[Thor smiles at the very mention of Bryn's name. A little brighter than he has been so far.

He nods.]

A drink or two is the least I could do. [He glances back toward Loki and toward a rock, it looks to be a good place for a quick chat about their crazy, old father.]

This could take a while.

[spellslots]

Good luck, darling.

[After tossing up between saluting and blowing a kiss, Taako goes for the latter, before turning on his heel and heading over to Lup, so he can reassure her that he's fine.

And maybe get another potion.]

[inlaid]

[Bryn waits on the sidelines for longer than she likes, but both Thor and Taako have siblings to speak with and her relationship with both parties doesn't trump that. Especially Lup and Taako, and especially in light of what happened.

So she watches from afar for a while, studying both Taako and Thor, looking for any sign that something is amiss. It's easier to study them, to actively watch them than to fuss and worry. It's a job, it's one that requires patience, and it's centering because that fight was more than she'd anticipated. More than either of them had expected either.

It's only when Taako seems to have appeased Lup that she ambles over.]

You know, if you wanted to bad-touch Thor with tentacles you probably only had to ask.

[A joke, because it's how they do. Of course, she's not very good at hiding the fact that she's shaken or worried with her tone so bleak.]

[spellslots]

[All in all, Taako is unsettled, but okay. He's used to fights that push him to the end of his tether, one with far higher stakes than the one today, against people who wouldn't have stopped at getting him on his knees. Being electrocuted hurt more than the machinery that was dropped on him in Wonderland, but less than being crushed to death when he fell in Refuge.

Lup seems more off put than Taako is, but that's probably normal, and she calms down after enough reassurances that he's okay. There are still burns on his skin, potions tend to heal from the inside out, fixing up the deepest damage first, and he's going to need to do some serious hair maintenance after this. But overall - he's doing okay, enough that he easily winds an arm around Bryn's shoulders when she comes over.]

What about the choking, you think I could get in on that action again? I'm learning all sorts of things about myself today.

[He's going to be a shit in return, but he gives her a squeeze to reassure her.]

[inlaid]

[Her arm slips around behind his waist as his drapes over her shoulders, and she stops trying to hide that she was worried. Sighing with relief, she looks him over, head to toe, noting the burns with obvious concern.]

Mm, I'm sure something could be arranged. He might feel he owes you after this.

[It's about all she can manage before she breaks the rules. They don't often show their deeper emotions to one another but there are very few people in this city that Bryn feels a connection with, which means that Taako gets all of the care that she might normally spare for several people.]

Can I help with those burns?

[She's got air magic under her belt, and fire too. Water is the latest and it's come with a couple healing spells that ought to help a little. Not to mention it would do her a world of good to not feel so helpless after what she witnessed on the sidelines.]

[spellslots]

[He hums, as though he's seriously considering whether he can milk this situation, despite the fact they both know that he's just messing around.

And he doesn't mind about her breaking their silly rules; that was scary for him and he's sure it was scary for the people watching, so when she offers a little healing, he nods.]

Go for it, bubbale, you can't be any worse than Merle.

[inlaid]

[By now, Taako has seen Bryn practicing enough to know that when she pulls out one of her daggers, it's not because she's about to stab him or bleed herself for a spell. She draws it with her right hand automatically, then, remembering that she has a more powerful skill available by holding it in her offhand, switches to her left.

Mist forms at her hands first, and as it grows the mist turns to water droplets, and the water grows more pronounced and swirls around her hand. She steps back from Taako, out from under his arm, concentrating. The water skills are something she's still getting used to, and while there's no consequence for getting it wrong, she doesn't want to fail if she can just get this done quickly.

In a movement, she draws both of her hands together and up, as if calling water up from the earth, and just as quickly slices both draggers through the air and the water around her hands down and to her sides. The water dives down with it, hitting the ground before splashing around her in a wide radius. The water soaks Taako from top to bottom, but in the way of magic it seems to vanish after a few moments, leaving him dry but for a drop here or there.

Anxiously, she looks Taako over again once more to see if it was enough to heal the damage.]

How do you feel?

[spellslots]

[It's a slower process than cleric magic, much slower than a potion, but it's far more interesting than both, and while Taako uses magic quick and dirty, with sharp gesture and small movements, he can appreciates the practiced motions that Bryn moves through.

The water soaks him and it should be annoying but it's just soothing, some of the heat from the burns leaves his skin and he feels bruises on his body eases away. Between the potion and Bryn's magic, he's almost one hundred percent.]

Remind me why I even bothering wasting my money on potions?

[That's an I feel great.]

[inlaid]

Because you couldn't pay me enough to keep me on call.

[And just like that it's easy to get back into the swing of things.

Taako looks a lot better than he did before, sounds better too, and it's enough to ease the tension that had been building in her shoulders. And while it's far from the most important thing happening in that moment, she's really happy to have performed the spell successfully. As she practices more, her movements will be sharper, swifter, and it will take her less than a second to do the same thing.

But for now, slow and steady is fine with her if it also results in success.]

Lucky for you, you get the friendship discount today. On the house.

[spellslots]

Cause your boyfriend beat me up?

[Taako usually doesn't use the word boyfriend when talking about Thor and Bryn, because he's never been quite sure about whether that's the right term and he certainly doesn't want to be the one to make that decision for them. But it kind of just slips out and he's not going to fuss about it.

Instead, he leans in to kiss her cheek.]

Thanks, darling, really. Don't tell Lup but I was still feeling kinda shitty at Taako central.

[inlaid]

[Bryn let's out a little snort. But the memories of Thor and Taako fighting are far too fresh in her mind so she shakes her head, as much to answer as she does to try and push the thoughts away.]

Because I tripled my money on you.

[She hadn't bet that he'd win. She hadn't bet that he'd lose either. But she had bet that he'd be able to get the Asgardian's hammer away from him and out of play.]

And if Lup asks I'll mention that I did it for my own peace of mind. You're welcome to tell her the same. [After a beat, she adds:] Let me know if you want me to top you off later, so to speak. Doesn't exhaust me yet and I could always use the practice.

[AKA he shouldn't hesitate to ask if he could use it.]

[inlaid]

[Bryn knows that Thor might wonder when she's going to catch up with him. By the time Loki and Thor seem to have finished with each other, and Lup and Taako as well, she goes to the elf's side first. It's not that she doesn't care about Thor and doesn't want to celebrate his vicotry...it's just that it was pretty hard for her to see that whole fight go down. More than she expected it to.

So, in the end, Bryn doesn't make it to Thor's side until they all make it to the bar for celebratory No-One-Died drinks. And Bryn does do her part to make it a celebration. The first round of drinks for everyone who participated or witnessed the fight is on her. Deities know they could all probably use something to take the edge off.

An hour or so later sees Bryn very relaxed and working her way back to Thor's side. The smile comes a little more easily to her face than it did right after the fight, and she slings an arm around his shoulders as she half-perches on his knee.]

So. How would you feel about taking this party elsewhere?

[worldsaway]

[Thor isn't offended when he isn't Bryn's priority, but something in him aches when her smile doesn't seem quite so bright. He feels like something of a pariah at his own party, he's not sure it's a victory worth celebrating.

He's good at swallowing down his feelings and putting on a friendly air. He owes Taako a few rounds of drinks, and the more he has, the more at ease he becomes.

By the time Bryn finds him again, he's far more settled. His mind still wanders when he's alone or quiet for too long, but her presence quickly snaps him out of it.]

Is it tacky to leave my own party early? [He asks, like he cares. He lifts a hand to run his fingers through her hair, moving his hand to cup her face.]

[inlaid]

[If she were on the job, she'd hide her feelings better. Her smile would be bright and easy and no one would be able to tell how worried she'd been. But Bryn doesn't think to hide things from her friends, and she hadn't just been worried about Taako (though he seemed more at risk than Thor.)

It might occur to her later that part of her had found it harder to take in stride because the fight involved the two people she cares most about on this moon, and that it had been difficult for her to watch them fight each other. Even more difficult to watch them hurt each other.

But for now she's drowned her feelings in good liquor and is more than happy to let the feelings melt away under the touch of Thor's hand. Pressing into the touch of his fingers, she smiles, turns a little to kiss the edge even as her hand strokes over the back of his shoulders.]

We could always just leave for a little while and then come back. Ten, fifteen minutes? Unless you'd rather stay here of course.

[She's fine either way. They're far enough into the party that she doesn't feel like she has to mingle or circulate anymore when she'd rather be seated there with him.]

[worldsaway]

Yes, I'd much rather sit here and drink than be alone with you.

[His voice is flat and he raises a brow. He doesn't want to say I don't even want to be here anymore, so he doesn't. If it just so happened that they went to her home, fucked, held each other, stayed in bed and never came back, he would be extremely content.

And so, he easily lifts her as he stands, a hand under her thighs and back to keep her steady before he sets her down and presses a kiss to the top of her head.]

Home? [It is her home, but he finds himself there so often that he has no issues claiming a little ownership.]

[inlaid]

[She lets out a little laugh at that. It seems that she missed what he was saying originally. Perhaps she'd been the one to make a fuss about an after-party to Taako, but in this case she feels in tune with Thor. The idea of staying at the bar another hour or two doesn't appeal to her right now.

The way Thor picks her up without warning is enough to make her laugh again, with open, genuine delight, and the smile on her face lingers as he sets her down and kisses the top of her head. Hands reaching out, she lets them rest against his abdomen, rather pleased by his casual use of the word home. As if it were theirs instead of just hers.

He's over there enough that it feels that way more often than not, even walking the dog in the morning when she can't be roused from sleep easily.]

Yeah, home.

[There are some good byes to be said of course. Even as she reaches down for his hand curls her pinky finger around his, she's heading over to Taako to let him know that they're leaving and to give her friend a kiss on the cheek. Everyone else, well, she doesn't stop unless Thor does, heading slowly but steadily toward the exit.]

[worldsaway]

[Thor isn't too interested in making a big fuss about leaving. He'll nod at Taako and Magnus when he's on his way out. He gives a cursory glance around to see if Loki has lingered this long, but he needs nothing more than a small smile before Thor os ready to go.

He glances down at their hands and back up at her with a smile. It's a far cry from how they started, but he likes it. It's an easy slip into warm, comforting gestures. Like their hands, they've sort of interlaced together. He eats dinner at her house, he picks up around the house, he makes her breakfast and goes on walks with her.

The time may have come to address it. But he can't stand to now. Not after what happened today. Not before he needs to fill his mind with troubles from home. There may never be a perfect time, but there are bad times. This is one.

Once they're outside, it seems only right to act as his clothing suits. He opens his free palm for Mjolnir and gestures for her to take ahold of him however she feels is best.]

I don't feel like walking, do you?

[inlaid]

[Seeing Thor in the clothing of his home world had been a fascinating experience for Bryn. She might have appreciated it more earlier before the fight, if it hadn't been for her nerves, and during it had only lent itself to remind Bryn of just how much of a warrior Thor was. It wasn't that she'd forgotten, but it's different to see someone in armor, especially when it's so impressive looking.

Sparing a glance for his hammer, Bryn considers his question briefly and then shakes her head.]

No, I don't either.

[She wants to get home and she wants to push away any lingering worries or concerned she had about the fight or her two favorite people involved in it. Stepping in, she puts one foot on top of his to help her keep from sliding down his body. The other is wrapped around his leg, tightly enough that she feels secure but not so much that she'll make it hard for him to move. Her arms wrap around his waist and hold tight. There's no concern that she might come to harm with him, but she doesn't want to give either of them a heart-attack by dropping by accident.]

Ready when you are.

[worldsaway]

[Thor is a little impressed by how well versed she is at this already. He nods down at her, brows raised, then twirls his hammer to give them momentum before he flings it up into the air.

They follow the hammer upward, and Thor thinks better of summoning a little thunder to say goodbye.

It's a nice night, but it's chilly, Thor's arm is wrapped tightly around Bryn but his focus is on what's ahead. It doesn't take long for them to approach her house and he lands them both on the balcony, setting her down carefully.

Qiri is quick to pad up to the door and bark excitedly at them, Thor gestures for Bryn to let herself in first.]

[inlaid]

[Flying with Thor is exhilarating. She'd known he could do it, she's seen him use his hammer like that before, but somehow it had never occurred to her to ask him for a ride. It's only a shame that she can't look around them as easily, with the wind in her face and her hair flying around her head.

Another time when they're not trying to get somewhere, she'll ask him to take her up again and come prepared. For now, when they land on the balcony she carefully finds her feet once more, and looks over to the sound of a barking puppy. Grinning, she reaches for the door and fishes out a key to unlock the sliding glass. The ball of fluff barks and exits at once, jumping up on Bryn first in excitement, before turning his attention to Thor who he prances around. She chooses that moment to slip inside, intent on giving the dog his evening meal closed up in the bathroom.]

Take me around like that often enough and I may stop riding my bike altogether. [A lie, but a flattering one. She enjoyed the trip, about as much as she enjoyed holding onto him.] Why don't you take a load off while I deal with the little monster?

[There are a couple couches he can flop onto, or make his way up the small set of stairs to the bed they share.]