[closed] There is a terrible cost to dark magic, but you know what they say

[spellslots]

who: Taako + various others (if u want something hmu!)
what: What it says on the tin! Catch-all for the next few weeks to save spamming y'all
when: mid July - when I decide I need a new one of these
where: Arounnnnnd
warnings: None yet, will update if necessary

Comments

[spellslots]

[Wow okay fuck Rin goes hard. Like, even more than Lup's level of Extra™️, which is a significant level of it, but Taako's already thrown himself into this so they might as well play it to the finish.

Taako snatches the urn, moving back to kneel beside Rin, gently brushing some of his hair off his face.]

I have faith, just- just tell me how to use it.

[There's a part of him that kind of wants to just dump it on Rin for shits and giggles, but he's not sure if that would go down super well. Rin seems to have a pretty good sense of humour, it just might not extend quite that far and he'd rather not ruin a date that's going pretty well so far.

He's also half expecting the seller to run with the gold, which would be a pretty big clue that the ashes are bullshit while saving anyone from having to get ash on them, grandma's or not.]

[imperceptus]

[ The auctioneer is sweating bullets. Rin's groaning as though he's about to literally die. He's sprawled out on the floor, cheek pressed to tile, gasping like a fish fresh from the sea.

"Just--just a pinch of the dust! A little pinch. Very small," the auctioneer stammers. He's backing away as he speaks, and the crowd's starting to get suspicious. "No refunds!"

Then, just as Taako predicted, that guy is outta there.

On the floor, Rin coughs. ]

[spellslots]

[It's moments like these that Taako misses Garfield, who was probably some kind of evil eldritch horror, but at least he sold good shit.

Although at least this is kinda fun; Taako makes a good show of getting out some of the dust to sprinkle on Rin (or, well, he casts minor illusion to make it look like that's what he's doing because he's being nice) and barely waits a second before declaring:]

It's fake, i's not working. Someone-- someone needs to stop him. [He does a decent job of sounding Devastated by this turn of events.] Is anyone here a cleric?

[imperceptus]

[ The crowd, now suitably stirred up, gets to its collective feet. It's maybe about a dozen people in total--this was supposed to be an exclusive event, after all--and they look like they'd be happy to break out the pitchforks and the torches if any were on hand. As it is, they just start shouting over one another, especially the people who have already purchased likely fraudulent artifacts.

(Nobody here is a cleric. They don't even seem to care much about Rin's 'maybe probably dying' predicament. Rich people.)

Rin lies on the floor, apparently dead, until it seems like the crowd has either thinned or totally turned its attention away from his situation. Then, he tugs on Taako's sleeve and mutters. ]

Did I show you a good time, or what?

[spellslots]

[Taako makes a half-hearted attempt at trying to get a healer, but once it's clear that they've been thoroughly distracted, he gives up on the act and just raises an eyebrow at Rin.]

That was something, alright. I'm suitably impressed.

[Taako sets the urn down, then casts a glance at the rest of the room, making a quick decision.]

The lady with that horrible snakeskin dress just left her purse on her chair, wanna split it?

[Crime????]

[imperceptus]

[ Rin pops up, then takes a dashing bow. He's not formally trained, but he thinks he's a pretty good actor.

As for the purse ... ]

You know what they say: if you can't hold on to it, you don't deserve to keep it.

[ Crime. ]

[spellslots]

[Taako would applaud, but that might draw too much attention back to them, so he gives Rin a thumbs up instead, and then ohhhh so casually walks over to the abandoned purse. He casts another illusion, this one to replace the real purse with a fake copy, and he tucks the real one under his arm.

He's grinning when he comes back to Rin, linking their arms together and dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.]

As much as I'd love to see how this whole thing plays out, there's gotta be a bottle of wine somewhere with our names on it.

[Also they just did a crime.]

[imperceptus]

[ Rin dusts himself off--that floor needs some serious sweeping--and nods. He leans against Taako, grinning. ]

Yes. Preferably somewhere several long miles away from here.

[ He directs Taako to a back entrance that he noticed upon their arrival (because checking for exit/entry points is the first thing Rin does upon entering absolutely any space), an inconspicuous door that's perfect for them to slip through. A few quiet steps and they're out, ready to disappear into the night.

With this lady's purse. ]

[spellslots]

[There's a brief second where one of the remaining people inside turns to see Taako and Rin's quickl exit, but as soon as the door is shut behind them Taako waves a hand over it, casting arcane lock.]

Somewhere far away and expensive.

[He's literally already rifling through the purse without needing to let go of Rin, it's a talent.]

Or did we have reservations I should be taking into consideration here?

[imperceptus]

No reservations--but there's a very exclusive little bar just over this-a-way --

[ He gestures down some brightly lit road as they keep walking -- ]

-- with a hostess who lets me right through if I bat my eyes enough.

[ Being selectively bred for attractiveness does have occasional perks! ]

[spellslots]

[Well, that works too!

Taako makes quick work of taking anything seemingly valuable and/or useful out of the purse and slipping it into his own. They can go through the specifics later, but he wants to be able to toss the woman's purse aside, getting rid of the evidence and all that, which is exactly what he does as they walk towards this bar of Rin's.]

Is that gonna work if you're with a date, or are we suddenly a two for one kinda deal?

[He's kidding.

Maybe.]

[imperceptus]

She seems to have a thing for the ears, so--

[ He shrugs, grinning. ]

--could be. But I think she just likes to look.

[ He watches Taako riffle through the purse, nodding in approval as Taako transfers money, jewelry, etc., from one bag to another. Rin will maintain that he is but a simple merchant--but all businessmen are thieves. All the successful ones, anyway. ]

[spellslots]

[It's a shame to toss away a nice purse, but - evidence, so once he's got everything valuable out of it, the poor thing goes into a bin.

The ears comment makes him laugh, but the rest...]

Oh, well, I can work with that.

[Taako says it like a joke, playing along with whatever exactly this is, but his smile is maybe a little too sharp for it to be anything but genuine on that account.

Can't blame a guy for his kinks.]

[imperceptus]

[ Rin's not here to judge. Especially not after their shared criminal activity. ]

Hell, with you along, we might even drink for free.

[ He nods to a nondescript building just ahead. It's the kind of bar that's so fancy (and pretentious) that it doesn't need to announce itself, not beyond a simple black door with a gold-embossed plate--the apothecary, in small, curving letters. ]

[spellslots]

[He can't believe that Rin is a hipster.

(He absolutely can).]

You know, I can't think of a single way this night could get better.

[He says it with just a hint of a smirk, which ruins the innocent tone of voice.]