Taako (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
spellslots) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
riverviewlogs2017-11-04 02:09 pm
spellslots) wrote in riverviewlogs2017-11-04 02:09 pm
( open ) ; tell me about the days where your body feels nothing like a body
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.]
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.]
no subject
[It makes him laugh despite some of the heaviness in this topic, because the idea of Taako actually genuinely bullying Lup is so foreign. Even if he was meaner, even if they'd turned against each other, Lup has such a strong personality that he can't picture anyone bullying her, let alone himself.
Still, he's not sure what he was expecting out of the conversation but he's... glad that Cisco thinks it's not just because they struggled that kept them close.]
Do you get jealous? I know that's like, a shitty question and you don't have to answer, but I heard it from someone else.
[Rin, but he won't say that.]
no subject
Maybe that makes him cynical. He isn't entirely sure. Cisco's just glad that this is the version of the twins that he knows, and if there are any others out in the multiverse who are more dysfunctional, Cisco doesn't really want to meet them.
The question about jealousy is a little tough to answer - though hearing someone else has said so makes it marginally easier. Cisco laughs softly as he says: ]
Of course I get jealous.
[ He knows that it wasn't all good, that being so close to Lup had made losing her temporarily all the more devastating. Cisco knows, too, that Taako's youth was clearly a difficult one even with Lup there to help him. But those are logical thoughts, and the occasional pangs of envy he feels seeing them make each other laugh, and how automatically and unquestioningly they trust one another - that's a purely emotional thing. ]
It's not... the kind of jealousy where you wish someone else didn't have something, y'know? Like, it's so great, seeing how much you two love each other and stick up for each other and realizing that's... possible, and everything.
[ Cisco swallows, makes himself smile (unconvincingly) as he shakes his head from side to side and admits: ]
It just- makes me wish... things could've been different.
[ He'd wanted them to be different. Cisco had spent the first decade and a half of his life desperately wanting his older brother to love him. Looking up to him, looking out for him. Covering for him when he got himself into messes. Forgiving him despite the teasing and bullying and all the rest. But once he left for college Cisco hadn't been around him as much and he'd just... given up. ]
no subject
I'm sorry it couldn't be, bubbale.
[Almost idly, he uses mage hand to flick a little water from the pail onto Cisco, the Taako equivalent of something like a pat on the shoulder.]
You know you're like, practically one of us now, right? I mean-- it's not the same as a hundred years, but...
[He's bad at talking about feelings like this, so he trails off with a shrug and hopes Cisco will get it. All the jokes about Lup being his new sibling instead of Dante, about getting him an IPRE jacket, it's not entirely a joke.]
no subject
So he leans over, far enough he can dip his fingers into that pail and splash a little spray of water in Taako's direction, in retaliation. ]
Pretty sure magic's against the rules in the sauna-
[ But before he can tease any more, or say something about how it's not a bad thing to feel jealous about all things considered, Taako says Cisco is practically one of them. He might not finish the sentence, but he doesn't need to.
That hits Cisco hard; it would at any time, but particularly after he'd just remembered, with sharp clarity, how much his family had not really wanted him, or cared about him.
He goes absolutely silent, heart beating too fast, just looking at Taako. It wasn't like he thought Taako and Lup and the rest hated him; he could tell they enjoyed his company. But for Taako to go that far - well, he hadn't expected that. He sits there, overwhelmed, not even capable of conjuring up a joke, or even a single word. He ought to be saying thanks, or when do I get the official certificate, but he can't seem to make himself speak.
All he can do is nod, glad that at least he is not crying. Taako's already seen him cry way too many times, considering how long they've known one another. And the jokes, the teasing, the thank yous and happiness, those can come later. ]
no subject
[He says it not just because it's something to say, but because it's a way to acknowledge that he knows this is A Lot to Cisco and that he gets why there's no immediate response coming. He says it because even if the words themselves sound a little harsh, his tone is light and fond.
If Cisco cries, Taako isn't going to care about it.]
no subject
And that seems to undo whatever it was that had made Cisco go mute, make it possible for him to clear his throat and say: ]
Okay, but if you kick me out, I'm going up to the first employee I see and I'm gonna snitch on you for using magic in the sauna. Fair's fair. If I can't have this beautiful steam room, nobody can.
[ Then, finally, he smiles, laughs a little at himself, at the whole situation. He jokes: ]
Besides, I'm like, so completely over crying. Don't get me wrong, I'm not on some machismo bullshit or whatever but after last month I am just done with it. Need a breather. Mandatory tear-free month.
no subject
[It's a lazy challenge with no real heat behind it, he's just teasing for the sake of teasing, to give Cisco something to talk about that isn't gross feelings. Although this is Cisco, after all, so apparently he's going to talk about gross feelings just a little bit (Taako isn't surprised).]
I could not fucking agree more on that one, solid point, well made. [a beat, and:] Not that I've ever cried once in my life, but theoretically....
[As if Cisco hasn't literally seen Taako crying.]
no subject
[ Cisco is more than willing to play along, nodding as if confirming some obvious truth.
It's a reminder of why they are both here - to relax, after all the ghosts and memories and nonsense. And that reminder prompts Cisco to get his feet. He gestures for Taako to follow him, saying brightly (as if he wasn't so overwhelmed with emotion that he could even speak a few moments before): ]
C'mon, I really wanna try that room with all the tiny clay balls or whatever, that looked so dope.