riverviewlogs | (closed) back at it again at fantasy krispy kreme

[Honestly, he only tries the potion because he thinks it's kind of stupid and wants to see what bullshit it comes up with. He already knows who his soulmates are, there's no need for a little bit of parlor magic to tell him, but he figures he might get a laugh out of it, and that's kind of needed these days.

He picks one with a red thread in it, but the results are almost hilarious in how predictable they are.

There's a red thread, sure, tied around his pinky, though it leads nowhere right now, it simply trails off (Kravitz, he assumes, which is... well, something to think about later). But there are seven others. Six white bonds are wrapped around his chest, though like the red thread, three of them fade out, belonging to people who are too far away to reach. One is fraying and Taako curls his fingers around it, knowing where it leads without needing to follow it. Two are more simple: Lup, the brightest, and Magnus.

The final one is wrapped around his wrist, still white, still not leading anywhere, and he has to guess it belongs to Joaquin, the bond formed in Tesseralia that helped him saved the world, and he wonders if he'll always have it, stretched between the planes.

Taako resists the urge to follow the thread to Magnus, not wanting to put more pressure on the poor guy. If Magnus can see the same thing, maybe he'll come to them instead, and that would take away an edge of tension that Taako's had since their meeting.

At some point, later in the month, he finally follows the fraying one, knowing exactly where it leads but also knowing that he needs to have this conversation no matter how much he's loathing it.]

[Earlier in the day, Magnus had bought a trinket of his own. The cheapest version of this potion revealed just one thread, and really, he only did it out of curiosity. The red thread around his left ring finger had occupied him for a time, getting him out and about, but led him to a disappointing (but, honestly, expected) halt near the portal. His venture then ended with a resigned sigh. He hadn't expected to meet his soulmate in Riverview, anyway.

It's a surprise to him when, on his way home, another thread—white—seems to appear around his wrist.]

Huh. Guess I got a good deal on that cheap potion.

[Since his first venture had proved fruitless, he decided it couldn't hurt to follow this one. Until, as he probably should've expected, he realizes he's gone down this path before. It doesn't take him long to figure out where this thread is taking him. Still several blocks away, he hesitates.

Is he gonna do this?

A sigh.] Yeah. I am.

[Aaaaand the thread takes him exactly where he'd expected it to. With his hand inches from the door, he hesitates once again—part of him is still hanging onto his initial assumption about the would-be "poison"—but he brings himself to knock.]

[Taako knows who it is before Magnus even knocks; magic is useful for a whole lot of things, this included, but he resists the urge to head outside before Magnus makes a decision. He even gives it a couple of seconds before opening the door, to make it seems less like he was hovering nearby worriedly.

It's a chill sort of day today, but he's still in a cute dress because that's how he rolls. He has a mug of tea in his hand when he opens the door, just adding more to the facade of "this is a total surprise".]

Hey, you.

[He looks - a little hesitant, his smile an attempt at reassuring despite his own nerves.]

You wanna come in?

[He's not sure if Magnus is here because of the thread or something else, but the offer is open, either way.]

[Magnus totally buys the ruse. Except not really at all.]

Hey!

[There's some indecision in his voice, but he manages a smile and a wave in greeting. As if Everything is Normal, he steps inside. ... However, his body language completely acknowledges the tension in the air—hands in pockets, shoulders slouched. He opens his mouth to speak, but realizes he's not sure what to say. Sheepishly, he raises his hand from his pocket, wrist bound in a white thread.]

So this is a thing?

[It surprises him how shitty he feels, knowing that he's made Magnus uncomfortable. It shouldn't really be that much of a surprise, considering they've known each other over a century and of course Taako cares about Magnus, it's just - weird. Unfamiliar in a way.

He never cared all that much for the eighteen or so months they spent together with the Bureau, it was easier to brush Magnus's feelings aside.

That feels kinda shitty, too.]

Oh, right, uh... [He heads into the kitchen, mostly because that's where the booze is, if they need it.] A century will do that. It's not just me and you, if that helps? It's all of us, even the ones who aren't here.

[There's no point lying, anymore.]

Yeah, I get that. [It's not a quip, it's just an acknowledgement of understanding.

He follows Taako, but stays just out of a certain range from him, mostly buffered by guilt. The reason for his discomfort is his own doing more than Taako's.

He'd wanted to keep it casual, but...] Look, I was kind of a jerk the other day. I'm sorry I ditched you like that.

[Almost immediately, Taako waves a hand to dismiss that apology.]

We dumped a lotta shit on you, and I can't imagine the atmosphere was fucking great.

[He isn't stupid, he knows how tense he and Lucretia must've seemed with each other. And there are reasons for that, ones he won't apologize for, but it can't have made it easier for Magnus.]

I remember when we started figuring this stuff out and like - I had basically the same reaction. I didn't trust any of the shit that Barry was telling us, cause I didn't know him, right? And you don't know us. [And that - hurts, but Taako shrugs it off.] I get it, I guess is what I'm saying here. You don't gotta apologize.

Who's— [He drops the question, as he more or less figures it out on his own.] Someone else I know but don't know, I guess. Like you guys.

[Sounds like it's shitty for y'all.]

Taako, I've been thinking— [He's still unsure about whether he wants to take this drink, but based on the advice he's been given, he figures he should at least consider it.] Give me a run-down on that... stuff again.

[Taako nods to confirm that guess, and then briefly pauses as he decides whether they should sit down for this conversation and do it properly, but... he doesn't want Magnus to change his mind.]

We were a team, all of us and we... [God, it's hard to work around the voidfish.] Something fucking horrible was chasing us for a long time, until we found a way to hide, on Fearun, but it meant hurting a lot of people. It wasn't-- we didn't mean to, but it happened all the same.

[He hopes that's vague enough to not get caught by static.]

Lucretia thought she had a better way to fight what was after us, but the rest of us knew it wouldn't work so she used that creature we told you about to take our memories. She stole our memories and split us up and left us alone for a fucking decade.

[That, maybe, will explain the tension between Lucretia and Taako.]

Edited (i wanted to move a single comma im sorry) 2017-09-05 03:21 (UTC)

[A pause.]

Oh, shit.

[Another pause. He'd had a rather high opinion of Lucretia, but spent a bit more time with Taako at this point, so hearing it from Taako... Well, the scale was already tipped a bit more in his favor than hers.]

That's... not cool. [Back to the point.] So then this thing that Lucretia used. There's a way to get the memories back, and it's... drinking that stuff.

Sounds gross. [...Lightening the mood? Maybe?]

No shit.

[There's still anger there, but it's not directed at Magnus, just Taako's lingering bitterness over the whole situation.

But he sighs, taking a sip of his tea. He can see Magnus is trying to lighten the mood and appreciates it, but he really wants to be as honest as possible here, in case he doesn't get another chance.]

Pretty gross, tastes like liquid fish, and it's... it's gonna hurt, bubbale, if you do it. But you don't have to be alone.

[Like he was.]

[That sounds like the opposite of appetizing. His face twists. But, all the same...]

It's kind of a big decision, huh...

[He still feels like he should hold off. But when he tries to pinpoint why he isn't down with it, there's no logic behind it besides 'playing it safe' or whatever the hell. It's weak, and definitely not very Magnus Rushes In.

He lifts his arms in an exaggerated shrug.] Lay it on me.

[He wonders if this is how Barry felt, as they all remembered, this kind of shaking relief that Taako is doing his best to stamp down on, because it's not helpful right now. He needs to focus.]

There you go.

[He smiles, somewhere between relieved and reassuring, then waves a hand towards the kitchen table as he sets his mug down.]

Grab a seat, I'll be two seconds.

[Literally, because he misty steps his way to his bedroom, where he grabs the flask, and then reappears in the exact spot he left. As he pours a little of the ichor into a glass, he says:]

Once you drink it, you gotta listen to me, yeah? I'll walk you through it so it doesn't get too overwhelming, but you can't try to think ahead. Got it?

[And with that, he holds out the glass to Magnus.]

[He does as he's told and takes a seat at the table, feeling some kinda way. Once he's holding the glass, The Regret™ really invites itself in.]

Asking me not to move ahead is a hell of a request, you know that? I assume you know about my whole Magnus Rushes In thing.

[Magnus steels himself. He's already dedicated himself to this task, so he's following the hell through with it.

His first response is, of course, to cough it back up again.] You weren't kidding, this tastes... [...and then he's cut off by the sound of a thousand sirens going off on either side of his head. At least, that's what it feels like. He wants to say fuck but he can't even think quick enough to get it out. Soon, his elbows are on the table, head in his hands.]

[Taako moves forward immediately, crouching down beside Magnus and reaching for one of his hands, wanting to give him something to hold onto.]

Okay, fuck, okay listen. We're from another world, another reality, with two suns and a purple sky just - just think about what I'm saying, try to picture it. [God, this sucks. Taako can hear his own voice shaking and he desperately wishes Lucretia was here to help.] We're part of the Institute of Planar Research and Exploration, you're the head of security, we all left our world on a ship called the Starblaster, but the Hunger attacked. It kept following us and we kept running, there was Tesseralia and the Legato conservatory and the beach, that whole year on the beach. And then we got to Abeir-Toril and we could put Barry and Lup's plan into action. We made the relics, to hide the light from the Hunger, but we never realized how destructive they'd be. Lup-- Lup left, to try to fix it, and Lucretia fed our memories to Fisher, so she could put her own plan into motion.

[Taako isn't religious, but he sends a little prayer up to Istus, hoping that this isn't too much for Magnus, that he did enough to get his friend through this.]

[Magnus can see the two suns in their purple sky. It would be a nice thought if his head wasn't pounding with information.

One hand remains clutching his head, but the other desperately takes Taako's hand when it comes. He grabs maybe too tightly at first, but Taako does good to keep his thoughts moving. With some deep breaths and reassurance, his hand loosens.

He remembers the Starblaster, the Hunger, Tesseralia and Legato and everything. He remembers the IPRE badge that Lucretia flashed at him the other day by the river, no longer shrouded in static.

After the worst is over, he's left with a ringing in his ear and a bit of weight in his head, but at least now it feels like a winter cold and not an explosion. He elects to keep his gaze on the table for now, but he doesn't let go of Taako's hand. His voice is rough and breathy:]

That was fun.

[Relief makes Taako's hands shake (he didn't even notice how tight Magnus was holding onto him) because Magnus seems to have gotten through it and that's all he could've asked for.

And now... now they have Magnus back. It's information he's not quite sure how to process just yet, so he decides to focus on what's in front of him.]

Try doing it on your own.

[There's a little laughter in his voice with that line, bright and full of that relief, even if his tone is wry.]

Welcome back, sweetheart.

Edited 2017-09-05 05:19 (UTC)

(Lucretia is sitting at her desk at home, a half-empty cup of tea mid-way to her mouth when the white loops of thread appear one at a time about her wrists; she drops the pen she's been holding in her other hand. She can't feel them but they are undoubtedly there, even give a little in response to her touch when she lowers her cup to poke at them. There are six in total, three on each wrist: two on her left and one on her right fade out before the white threads can quite touch the ground, and yet Lucretia feels a faint tug upon them like something on the end is pulling. The three remaining are longer, even trail off down the side of her chair, snaking out underneath of her door. Of these three, one looks a little worse for wear, and Lucretia curls her finger curiously around it, giving it a gentle tug. It's worn almost through in places, but gives a resolute tug back in return, strong, like a heartbeat.

And then the alarm set about her apartment goes off in her brain.

This would usually be standard fare for Lucretia, but this time it's different, because she knows who it is immediately. She'd know Taako's signature anywhere. Her first helpless thought is: wait, how does he know where I live?, as if Lup wouldn't have told him, as if that's at all important. Her frozen-in-place posture must betray the extent of her stress because Junior seems to notice and nudges against the glass of its aquarium, humming to get her attention.

Lucretia reaches out and places her palm flat on the glass, and the voidfish makes two tight, neat little circles in the water in reply that fail to make her smile. Eventually, she lets her hand drop; but Junior follows as she stands, pushing the glass back from the top of the aquarium and swimming into the air to follow along behind her, hovering curiously about the white threads trailing down from her wrist.

She knows he's almost there when she stops beside her front door. Lucretia isn't sure what she's going to say: only that she can't bear to fight with him again. Hopefully, it isn't going to come to that, no matter what Taako throws at her this time.)

[Magnus can actually manage half a laugh in response to Taako, but it takes him a moment to process the fact that—]

Holy shit, you did this by yourself? [He finally brings himself to face Taako.] Who the fuck let you do that?

[He can guess.]

Uh, me?

[He was alone here and he knew so much was missing but he didn't know what. Curiosity got the better of him, in the end, especially with the dull ache he'd felt during the start of the mourning festival, the knowledge that he'd lost something he loved deeply.]

But hey, we both didn't die, so that's great! [Taako reaches out with his free hand, almost hesitantly, to rest his palm against Magnus's cheek. Just - taking a second, because it feels like it's been months since he's seen Magnus, and that's a long time for them.] Didya miss me, big guy?

[In response, he places his free hand on Taako's shoulder.]

Of course I fucking missed you, Taako.

[He can't bring himself out of his chair just yet, but he can pull Taako down for a hug. It would've been awkward in any other situation, but circumstances considered, this chair-hug gets a pass.]

Jeezy Creezy, dude. I'm so fucking sorry. I just spent a whole month not even—[He leaves that thought at implied.] Fuck, I'm so sorry.

[There's a second where Taako isn't quite sure what to do with himself; chair hugs are a little awkward, until he kind of mentally goes fuck it and moves with the momentum of Magnus pulling him forward until he's straddling Magnus's lap.

It's been a while, but not forever, since they've done something like this.

He leans his head down, resting his forehead against Magnus's and takes a moment to just breathe. Magnus has been here but not here, not in a way that Taako could really appreciate until this moment. There was no time for a reunion like this, when they all remembered on the Bureau's base, but now there's time.]

Listen, that shit sucked, but it's not on you. [They both know who's fault it is.] It's just real fucking good to have you back.

Edited 2017-09-05 06:08 (UTC)

[This definitely had the potential to be really weird, but Taako ending up in his lap turned out to be preferable to an awkward chair-hug in terms of physical comfort. He would've stood to avoid the whole scenario if his legs wouldn't have given out, but, you know, this is fine. He wraps Taako up in his arms, tight enough to hold him captive if he'd wanted to, but separates. He follows the motions when Taako brings their foreheads together.]

It's good to be back.

[Instinctively, his hands join with Taako's. He can see the red string tied to Taako's pinky, cut off from his partner, much like his own string. They figured out a long time ago that they weren't a thing that would work out, so it makes sense. They've both got someone waiting for them in some other universe.

Whatever.

Pensively, he runs his thumbs over Taako's knuckles.]

[A hundred years is a long time, and it's a lonely time, when every single person they met turned to dust after only a year. Taako made sure to never get attached to anyone in the worlds they landed on, but that didn't mean he closed himself off completely.

He loved Lup, always, and he loved the rest of his family, and sometimes he loved Magnus differently from the rest of them.

That isn't why he cared so much about this, about getting Magnus back with all his memories. It mattered because it's only right, that Magnus can have all of himself, the power bear and that shitty sportsball team and every death they endured, together or apart.

But now they're here and he feels like he can hear Magnus's thoughts, or maybe that's just his own heart thudding in his ears and he doesn't want to listen to it anymore.

It's tentative, the way Taako tilts his head until he can press his lips against Magnus's in a light, chaste kiss. It's been a long time since he's done this, over a decade, but he doesn't think he'd ever really forget.]

Edited 2017-09-05 07:13 (UTC)

[Magnus squeezes Taako's hands as he returns the kiss. It stays soft and light—it's not the time for anything more than that—but it does last a hot minute. When they part, Magnus looks back into Taako's eyes, solemn, but smiling. They both know what they're getting into.

After a beat, Magnus breaks the silence.]

Remember the other day when I didn't know what ricotta was? God, I forgot that cheese master class you held for me.

[He's digging through his memories, trying to find the happy ones.]

(closed) back at it again at fantasy krispy kreme

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