[open]

[spellslots]

who: Taako & various/open
what: Assorted adventures
when: Late May!!
where: Oot and aboot
warnings: None at the moment!



Loki - The Gramarye

[It's not a mystery that something is Up with his umbra staff, nor is it a mystery that obviously Lup is the cause for whatever is going on with it, but it takes Taako a while to really… do anything about it, because he doesn't want to give himself false hope that maybe it's her, in some way. Kravitz sensed the presence of a lich, but he also dismissed that it was the staff causing it, so Taako is of two minds about whether Lup has, in some way, attached her soul to the umbra staff.

Regardless of the answer, he can't find it out himself, that isn't the sort of shit he can do with magic, so he reluctantly admits to himself that he needs help.

It still takes him another week to actually do anything about that, but finally he makes an appointment at Gramayre Magic Research in the off chance they might be able to tell him something about what's going on with Lup's stupid umbrella.

Taako turns up a little early, somewhere between nervous and excited, and the first guy he sees when he walks into the building is wearing a sharp suit, with dark black hair, and for a second Taako's almost thinks it's Kravitz, until the guy turns around and well, he's very obviously not Kravitz.

Still, he can be polite.]

Hail and well met, my dude. I'm here to see a guy about an umbrella.

[Taako why.]

Llŷr - the river

[It's been a couple of months since the whole thing with the witch of the river, and although Taako has reached out to her again, he still heads out into the forest sometimes to leave an offering. It just seems right, and honestly he kind of likes the routine of it, collecting little bits and pieces that he thinks will be appreciated (food, flowers, gemstones) and making the trek to the same spot in the river he always goes to. He doesn't know why he picked that particular spot, just that it had felt right the first time he'd wandered his way along the banks of the river.

Today, he has a little bowl made out of magic, that will disappear back into the ether after an hour, filled with a handful of small colorful crystals, some berries, and a sprig of rosemary, and it sets it onto the water with care, then sits on the bank to watch it make it's slow path down the river.]

Peggy - wardrobe update

[Taako has a lot of fond memories of sitting on his bed in the academy dorms, while Lup tried on outfit after outfit in preparation for a date or an interview or a presentation or like, a walk across the campus that she'd decided was Important for whatever reason.

So when Peggy asks for a little advice on updating her look, he leaps at the chance, insisting that shopping is the first step in this very important mission to make Peggy look even more awesome than she already does. There may be some bribery involved through the promise of any kind of cake she wants, and Taako goes the extra mile to turn up with two coffees (they're both sugary frappe concoctions from Riverview Starbucks).

As soon as he sees Peggy waiting near the front entrance to the mall he picked, he holds the cups up with a little shimmy.]

You want the cinnamon roll or red velvet one?

[Either will taste delicious while also filling her with a sense of shame at how much sugar is likely in them, but this is how Taako rolls.]

Illya - shooting practice

[It's a bit of a whim that has Taako asking Illya for lessons in handling a firearm, but at the end of the day magic can only do so much, and while he isn't about to start carrying around a gun, he thinks it'd be wise to at least know the basics, considering how common they seem to be with humans and in the Quarantine in general.

And Illya agrees; Taako picks a spot outside the inner barrier to avoid anyone stumbling upon their unofficial target practice, since he's pretty sure there are laws about licenses and all that boring crap. In the interest of repaying the favor, and making this more of a chill day than just shooting at stuff for however long it takes until one of them gets bored, Taako made lunch for the both of them that's currently sitting in a hidden chest, because why not.

For now, though, he's sitting on a fallen log, kicking his heels against the wood as he waits for Illya.]

open - day to day

[Taako does his best to keep busy, wanting to avoid any time spent dwelling on things that can't be changed, or getting too caught up his grief, so he throws himself into anything that comes with way, with even more gusto than he usually musters. He takes to wearing more red; his robe and jacket are both long gone, so whenever he sees something cute that's in the right shade of deep red, he can't resist buying it.]

i; swooping

[His usual bright umbrella is magicked to look dark, attempting to avoid any attention from the creatures above as he goes about his business, but he's not completely heartless and if he sees any of the pterodactyls getting too close to other people, he'll shoot off a magic missile or two to scare the creatures off.

If that doesn't deter the damn things, he'll wave the person over towards him.]

C'mon, dumbass, I got shields.

[He can play escort.]

ii; fishing

[Things that might surprise people to learn about Taako: he enjoys fishing.

He doesn't do it very often, because that kind of ruins the enjoyment for him, but he's been in Riverview for a few months now and it's a good way to kind of just - chill and reminisce without getting too caught up in it. After a) buying a rod and b) inquiring about a good spot to go, Taako heads down to a section of the river within the inner barrier that he's been told is decent. It's in a quieter part of the city, and he cuts an interesting figure sitting on the grassy shore, his purple wizard hat clashing horribly with his red jacket, but he's enjoying himself, and that's what matters.]

iii; prijata

[As it turns out, shopping for gifts is hard.

He never celebrated Candlenights until the Bureau, him and Lup didn't really do traditional gifts so much as they just stole cool shit for each other, and they didn't exactly have time for gifts while on the Starblaster. Except for when Merle made them, and that was just a whole bag of yikes.

But he's recently come to the realization that his time here is fleeting at best, that he's likely going home to die, and that maybe he should like, appreciate the people he's befriended here, and what matter way to show that than getting in the spirit of the upcoming holiday, even if he's starting to get a little tired of holidays.

That doesn't make it any easier, though, and he spends a lot of time checking out various markets and stores, meticulously going over items as he tries to find The Perfect Gift™.

Or maybe he's flopped dramatically on a bench somewhere, with too many bags at this feet and an alarming looking coffee in his hands.]

Comments

[dothelokimotion]

[ An elf. There's a brief surge of anger skittering across his skin before Loki calms himself quickly. He would be fool to buy into an old bias. The Dark Elves were well and truly gone. If anything, he can afford them his pity. At the elf's query, Loki smooths his hair back. ]

Well met indeed. What is the matter with your umbrella?

[spellslots]

It might be cursed? Or possessed?

[It's a struggle to stay flippant about this, but he's trying to go back to before he knew who's umbrella it was.]

Uh, it's.. it eats someone's wand when I kill them? But it also, well... here.

[As a demonstration, Taako tries to toss the umbrella towards Loki, but it opens itself up about halfway and floats back to fall at Taako's feet, where it closes itself up.]

See? That is not me doing that.

[dothelokimotion]

[ He bends down smoothly, his eyes bright with interest. While Loki does not enjoy labour or work of any kind, his academic interests have remained strong. Even in Riverview, he buries himself in books and knowledge, even if all knowledge is for his one end goal.

( which goal it will be, even he doesn't know )

His fingers twitch and a faint gold-green light covers his hand like a glove. Loki lacks the Soul Forge of Asgard, but he far outstripped their means of magic. After all, they were content to know and never learn. After a few minutes, he pulls it back, rising to his feet and straightening his shirt. ]

Is this your umbrella?

day to day?

[signifies]

[ Clark sends him a text. "If you're free, come to the old junkyard :)"

When Taako arrives, Clark is pushing aside some debris to clear the area. He's found a set of comfortable workout clothes. The reason he's wearing them becomes apparent when Taako sees two old train engines have been attached to each other with a long, thick metal bar off to the side.

He waves at Taako. ]

Morning! Glad you could make it.

Do you want to spot for me?

perfect

[spellslots]

[He's not entirely sure what he expected, but as soon as Taako finds Clark and pieces together what's happening, he starts laughing.]

Yes, yes, I absolutely do. [wait this is important, he pulls a hair tie off his wrist so he can tie his hair up, just to show how seriously he's going to take this task.] You'r so fucking ridiculous, I love this.

[signifies]

[ Clark waves him to the side where he can sit. ]

What? The gym didn't have anything in my weight class.

one.

[aeturnus]

[ Cain's been kind of back and forth between walking around unguarded or with an umbrella. Sometimes he doesn't realize he's heading directly under the flock and doesn't bother, sometimes he'll come on prepared.

With his luck, though, he's usually without any kind of coverage and just has to tough out getting nailed once or twice before getting to safety. He's weirdly cavalier about it, probably that silly immortality thing, but when he sees some kind of magic temporarily blast them away, he turns to the source.

An umbrella. Okay. An elf holding an umbrella. Better. Right. He's not going to just wave off an offer of protection, though, and scurries over to place himself next to Taako. ]

Is there anything magic can't do?

[spellslots]

Can't grant me the patience to deal with this bullshit! That's totally beyond even my capabilities.

[But he's grinning as he says it, and despite the offer of a shield, when the creatures circle back around he decides it's easier to just get rid of them, and casts shatter at a spot in the middle of the pterodactyls.

Even from the ground, the spell is loud, but the creatures shriek in pain and flee, apparently deciding that dinner isn't worth the effort.]

[aeturnus]

[ He flinches and his ears ring at that, more out of surprise than actual damage done to his eardrums. Magic. At least with his brother's magic, you can see the energy and it generally just kills things rather quick and directly. That's all it's supposed to do.

Shaking his head, he turns back to Taako and grins back, his own a little wan. ]

Nice one. Patience or not, seems like it can do everything else pretty handily.

Llŷr

[soundsfishy]

[The pretty magic bowl doesn't make it very far this time, as a webbed hand reaches up from the depths and pulls it under right in front of Taako's eyes. It bobs up again just a few seconds later, missing both crystals and berries.

The rosemary is left all alone in the bowl. A meager offering, now.]

[spellslots]

Uhh...

[He takes a couple of steps closer to the water, squinting as he tries to see whatever the heck it was that just stole his offering.]

The fuck? Who's down there?

[soundsfishy]

[Shit. Sound is a little muted under water, but Llŷr didn't miss the shadow of the elf. Especially not the hat.

Sheepishly, the mer slowly surfaces in a mess of ginger braids and knots, giving Taako an awkward smile.]

Um... sorry?

i;

[hevenly]

[ Silly elf. Angela doesn't need shields. When a particularly large beast comes swooping down towards her, she draws her sword and leaps into the air, a pair of gleaming golden wings sprouting from het shiny silver armor. She engages the creature head on, swinging her blade expertly, but it is a very large beast and she is merely one woman. A little magic assistance wouldn't go amiss. ]

[spellslots]

[Well.

Dang.

He's distracted by the fact he's just really impressed with the whole thing this lady has got going on, before he realises that he could probably like, help. Rather than risk throwing any damaging spells when Angela is so close to the pterodactyl, Taako throws up a hand and casts slow on it.

The creature is gonna have a hard time avoiding Angela when it's moving at half speed.]

[hevenly]

[ Indeed, slowing the creature does help. And Angela is able to greatly injure it, tearing through its wing with her sword. Thus weakened, the beast is forced to land, and Angela follows, touching down in front of the beast, ready to finish the job with an attack to the neck. The creature still rears its head and attempts to bite at her, however, making things more difficult. ]

[mannerism]

No tea at all?

[ the logic behind today is purely tactical. While Peggy is highly determined to preserve some of her older style ( apparently, some refer to it as vintage, the very nerve ), she's also willing to admit that at times, she may need to know how not to stand out in a crowd. An old work ethic dictates that one of these days she may need to look like those modern girls in their tank tops and jeans for the sake of her job and so, there's today.

Taako volunteered himself and when Peggy insisted it's a task she's more than capable of handling on her own, then came the offer of cake and her mind wandered back to his lemon meringue pie and oh why not.

liquid desserts were never mentioned. She narrows her eyes at the cups. ]

Red velvet.

[spellslots]

Tea is for relaxing, coffee is for shopping.

[This a very important distinction in his mind.

He holds out the red velvet one for Peggy while he takes a sip of the frapp that now belongs to him, by virtue of being the unchosen one.]

Fashion here is fucking wild, we're gonna need this.

[Hundreds of different cultures thrown together makes for some interesting fashion, and while Taako is more than happy to mix and match with varied results, Peggy seems a little more restrained.]

[mannerism]

Colourful language for a colourful elf.

[ but alright, alright she might be smiling and maybe that red velvet frap is a bit on the sweet side but otherwise, it is sublime. She takes another sip. ]

Alright then. Is there any occasion we're shopping for? I could do with something practical for the office.

[nikolaievich]

[Illya doesn’t take that long to get there. He’s usually punctual, but he’d wanted to check the perimeter and make sure they would be indeed safe. It’s kind of a habit, he always checks everything will be safe before a meeting but since they are going to be shooting at things… it really doesn’t hurt to be too careful.

He could have looked for a shooting gallery, but he’s a private man. If they can do this on their own and without giving anyone any kind of explanation then all the better.]

Taako. [He says in way of greeting when he spots the elf. He doesn’t have licence for carrying a concealed weapon, so the gun holders are in plain view (even if he’d prefer otherwise).] Did I make you wait?

[spellslots]

It's all good, I wanted to set up a couple wards.

[Illya won't have noticed them, since they're invisible to the naked eye and Taako left an exception in them for "Alexei"; luckily magic doesn't care about specific names, just the intent.]

Was work fun?

[Work is never fun.]

[nikolaievich]

No.

[He says bluntly because Taako ain't his boss so he doesn't have to soften it up. He enjoyed his work back home, believed in it, he was making a chance. But his work in here, while it does have its moments, is mostly bureaucracy.

American bureaucracy.]

What 'wards'? Will they interfere with our shooting?

iii

[franciscoramon]

hey taako.

you should drop by the lab sometime when you get a minute, i've got a present for you, and something I really wanna show you.

[ Cisco sends off the text and then starts making some effort of tidying up his workshop. It's at least a little more hospitable than it has been in the past - there are two chairs, now, and two mugs in case his visitor wants coffee from the pot in the corner. Amidst the schematics and half-sewn body armor and bits of gadgetry and scattered tools lying around, there is a brightly-colored paper bag with Taako's gifts for this whole Prijata holiday. It's nothing too fancy; a water bottle and a bright purple fuzzy wizard hat, but he's also put in a bottle of his favorite hair product, too. Might not work as well on elves, but it was the best thing he could think of that they actually sell in this place.

He's also got his gift that Eddie had given him - a holographic gaming system that he's set up next to the couple of consoles he's already managed to acquire (through god only knows what means). It's the sort of thing he would usually have in his home, but right now his home is shared by quite a few other people, who he doubts would appreciate him playing Ocarina of Time at 3 in the morning. Much better to have it here. Besides, he's practically living in this place, anyway.

Cisco doesn't know if video games will be something Taako is familiar with, but he can't imagine there's anyone in the multiverse who can't learn to enjoy a little Mario Kart. ]

[spellslots]

[Prijta isn't really Candlenights, but the gift giving aspect is familiar enough that Taako finds himself enjoying the whole experience. Which means he's more than happy to accept Cisco's invitation, although he will admit he's also curious about what Cisco wants to show him.

Taako shows up only a couple of minutes late, Adventurer's Kit(tm) slung over a shoulder, although rather than its usual contents of potions and weird magical items, it's currently housing a wrapped present and a bunch of food, because Taako is incapable of going places without bringing food, apparently.]

What's up, my man?

the world's most awkward coffee date

[spellslots]

[He hadn't told Lucretia about Clark, mostly because he hadn't been sure how Clark would want to play the whole secret identity thing, but then Clark had wanted to meet Lucretia, which answered a lot of questions.

He'd told Lucretia about Kal, the alien who can fly, who's been nothing but kind to him and is probably the nicest person that Taako has ever met. Which is big praise, but it genuine in a way that Taako only is when he seriously likes someone.

That was a day ago, and now Taako is fussing around the kitchen as he tries to make sure everything is perfect; he isn't all that dressed up, that would be weird for hanging out with friends, so he's put all his slightly nervous energy into making an insane selection of finger sandwiches.]

Hey, Lux, can you grab the salmon for me?

hoo boy

[scholiast]

Is all of this really necessary? (Lucretia says, but grabs and passes the salmon. She's pretty sure Taako had mentioned this new person was only a friend– so what's the excessive amount of food for, exactly? That, and the nervous energy radiating off of him is almost palpable.

It's all highly suspicious.

She picks a piece of cucumber out of a delicate finger sandwich while his back is turned, and pops it in her mouth.)

I don't know if three people can even eat this much food. (But hey, what does she know. Maybe kind, flying aliens really dig finger sandwiches.)