[open] who will go down to those shady groves

[eternalmagic]

who: Anyone
what: General CR building
when: September, post-Dragosta
where: Miscellaneous
warnings: idk are the Taaco twins gonna be there



.I. Waterbending
[Barring a few unfortunate incidents (no offense meant), he was able to avoid most of the chaos that took over the city during the Dragosta festival. Not that he has anything against festivals. He participates in plenty back home, albeit usually for ritualistic reasons. This one just happened to outpace his willingness to assimilate -- primary reason being that if his soulmate is here, he'd rather not know about it.

In any case, he only retreats for as long as it takes all the fuss to die down (especially for those damn fairy lights to dissipate), and then it's back to regular scheduled programming of trying to get Riverview's damn elements to let him play.

The weather's still nice. And water tends to be the most reasonable element to negotiate with. So he's swimming. If that seems weird, then joke's on you, because it's starting to work.]


.II. All-nighters
[Aside from classes, errands and the odd venture into the city, Mordred can typically be found in just one place.

Gramarye has swallowed him. He had high hopes for the resources available within the magical research facility, and so far he hasn't been disappointed. The opportunity to venture beyond the wall for a more thorough pass has yet to present itself, and Mordred isn't so dismissive of Bryn as his guide that he's prepared to risk her extreme displeasure by simply strolling out there himself. What that means is, he has to rely almost solely on Gramarye for information, and he has thoroughly devoted himself to the task of absorbing it.

It's been a few days. And nights. Requiring significantly less sleep means that a) he gets more accomplished, and b) his roommate Draco basically has an entire apartment to himself, minus one corner cloaked in darkness and stars.

This evening (morning? afternoon?) Mordred is three stories up in the library, balancing on a ladder as he selects the books he wants to work through next. Every once in a while, he'll toss a book sideways, whereupon it spirals down and settles delicately on top of a stack accumulating at one corner of a large table below. There are a few plants gathered on the other end of the table, like specimens, preserved in bubbles of what looks like shimmering glass.]


.III. Cocktails
[Through the graciousness of Millennial Loki, Mordred has acquired VIP access at the club Trixie.

However, he hasn't actually used it yet.

He's been sort of systematically trying out all of the places in Riverview that serve alcohol, not because he is often in the mood for a drink, but should the mood strike, ostensibly it's best to know exactly where to go. Trixie has turned out to be one of those places, not just because he gets along with the owner, but because the bartender likes to experiment and Mordred is not opposed to judging the results.

He's there tonight, leaning on the bar, distractedly nursing something that is three different neon colors and has a name he didn't bother to hear before he started drinking it.]

Comments

[eternalmagic]

I'll bet it is.

[Since Taako doesn't appear to be making a swift getaway, and despite being a smartass sometimes Mordred is not actually rude, he straightens up to face a person with whom his primary bond lies in dressing him up in slutty lingerie. Ice = broken.]

You haven't crashed any more of my classes. Should I take that personally?

[spellslots]

Is this your way of saying you missed me?

[His grin is a little sharp but he's mostly just teasing. The reason he hasn't been around much is because his personal life exploded quite messily, which is why he doesn't give an actual answer.]

[eternalmagic]

[Yeah, about that.]

I'm saying it was noticeable.

[Any absence of Taako is noticeable, honestly, he kind of draws attention just a little bit. That display with Lucretia certainly did. Mordred obviously has no idea what that was about and doesn't think it's his place to ask, but it turned out that he cared enough to... well, care. He'd never have bothered to send that herbal remedy otherwise, even if it ended up getting lost in the shuffle.]

Seems like you healed up all right. [That telltale little shimmer doesn't look any stronger than normal, at least.]

[spellslots]

[The change is subtle, but noticeable if someone's looking for it; a little tension creeps into his shoulders and when he smiles, it's a little forced, more than a bit of a front.]

Totally fine, bubbale, Lulu just tends to worry, you know how sisters can be.

[eternalmagic]

[Off limits, then. Fair enough.]

I'm an only child. [Consistently across all lives, which is sort of weird, objectively. But, since Taako provided a topic shift--] She's a hell of a fighter, though. No wonder you two can't agree on who's a better wizard.

[Nyahaha.]

[spellslots]

[He kind of figures that Mordred is giving him a distraction here and he's very grateful for it.]

That's me, for sure, I've got at least a few levels on her, and like, three- four? No three, it's three decades.

[Most of the time, Taako sounds pretty braggy, when talking about his magic, but he says this very matter of fact, because it's true. Give it a few decades and they'll be on even ground again, but right now Taako is more powerful.]

[eternalmagic]

[He gives Taako credit for not immediately turning it into a joke, but that doesn't mean he's prepared to offer the same courtesy yet.]

I don't know. [He eyes his glass critically, twirling the straw a little to make the colors blend.] Like I said, she's pretty impressive.

[spellslots]

You think I'm gonna show off just cause you're casting aspersions on my skills?

[He absolutely will, he just wants Mordred to know that he sees what's happening here.]

[eternalmagic]

Well, I could always show up where you work and demand it.

[He smirks a little.] Show me something interesting, and I'll buy you a drink.

[spellslots]

I work from home, my man, and if you can get into my place without approval I'll be real impressed.

[Since it's warded pretty heavily, although abjuration isn't Taako's specialty.

But a drink is a much better offer than playing at his jealousy (he's never been jealous of Lup, despite playing up the sibling rivalry) so Taako makes a quick gesture in the air, and everything goes grey and a little fuzzy. The club is still visible around them but faded and immaterial, unable to be touched. Mordred might notice himself feeling a little lighter, because gravity doesn't exist here, though he won't float away. It's complicated. Magic.

Taako casts a quick glance around for the Hunger's scouts, out of sheer habit, but it's quiet here.]

Welcome to the ethereal plane. This your first visit?

[eternalmagic]

[Even as the world around them changes, Mordred keeps his eyes on Taako. For as much as Mordred is interested to see what he'll do, it's more about how he does it; everyone here uses their magic a little differently, and that means there's something to learn from everyone. A simple point of focus, a gesture -- changing the way of 'speaking' to the magic can make such a difference.

Taako's magic is different from his own, but familiar. Mordred enjoys the ripple in the air as magic takes over, and a cloak descends... one not altogether unfamiliar, but still not quite the same.

He doesn't glance away until Taako does.]

Let's say it is. [Another slight smile, and he nudges the drink away.] Treat me like a tourist.

[spellslots]

Well, over here we have a big ol' stretch of fuck all, and behind us I think there's another swath of emptiness. [He's gesturing as he talks, tone wry but amused.] If you look to your left, you might catch a glimpse of the vast nothingness of space.

[Annnd he shrugs.]

The ethereal plane is a filter, between the material plane and all the others. Not a whole lot happens here, but I do not know this reality well enough to go sticking my dick into the elemental planes.

[eternalmagic]

[His smile grows, and this time he does look away. Lifting his hand draws faint wisps through his fingers, like running them through a cloud. A subtle shift of the atmosphere.]

Best not, unless you know for certain what's going to come back with you.

[He looks down at his palm for a moment, at the glimmering beneath his skin. His own magic becomes more visible in places like this. But in short order his attention comes right back up to Taako again.]

There are many between places like this where I come from. But they're never this quiet for no reason.

[spellslots]

There's things that can live in here, sometimes ghosts get stuck on their way to the astral plane, or other creatures that fuck around with the in-between places. I got kinda used to it being full of scouts for the cosmic terror that'd been hunting us for a century, but we kicked its ass, so....

[So now it's empty again.]

[eternalmagic]

The cosmic terror, hm? [Cue a very expressive eyebrow.] What kind of trouble do you get yourself into, Taako?

[spellslots]

All sorts. [He winks, and with that gesture drops the spell, pulling them back into the material plane because honestly: the ethereal plane gives him the heebie-jeebies a little.] But you can blame Lup for that one, she's the one who wanted to join the institute.

[eternalmagic]

What is the institute?

[OMINOUS. In the meantime, he picks up his drink again, and also flags down the bartender because he promised.]

And what are you having?

[spellslots]

Let's go with a daiquiri.

[Easy choice and they're hard to fuck up.]

The institute is the Institute of Planar Research and Exploration, who we worked for before uh, it got destroyed, I guess? Can you still work for an organisation that hasn't existed for a century?

[Asking the hard questions.]

[eternalmagic]

[You should let Mordred fix you a drink sometime, Taako.]

I think that'd make you the organization. Did this cosmic terror start hunting you before or after that?

[spellslots]

[Yes??? absolutely??]

Well, that tracks. [That makes Davenport the boss-boss. Which is an odd thought, considering the past year.] But it started coming for our crew, so - after. We kept taking its toys, if by toys we're talking about the realities it wanted to consume to make itself more powerful.

[eternalmagic]

[Okay, so... yeah. Cosmic terror.]

I can honestly say that sort of thing doesn't happen often where I come from. [There are apocalyptic beasts, sure, but nothing quite so extra on that scale.

Unless you start talking elder gods. Which you shouldn't.]

[spellslots]

Doesn't happen often to most people who're here, but we went through like a hundred worlds that did get absolutely fucked over by the Hunger. [So, you know, it happened a lot.] And we were just the ones that got stuck with fixing it.

[There's bitterness there, because even if the fact they had to fight the Hunger is the only reason they didn't die during its first attack, it still controlled their lives for far too long.]

[eternalmagic]

[Mordred frowns a little, sympathetic to that bitter taste in Taako's mouth. That's a responsibility to no should have, and to hell with whoever could be blamed for causing it.]

Sorry to hear it. [His tone is genuine, and he finishes his drink.] The trouble with being someone who can do things is that you usually have to.

was it tho

[spellslots]

Well, let's not overestimate my abilities too much, it was mostly Barry and Lup who figured all our shit out.

[He was the one who came up with the final plan that stopped the Hunger, but they never would've made it as far as they did without Barry and Lup working with the light, and, Istus had a lot to do with Taako's idea.]

But it's done, Morrissey the cosmic terror is super dead.

stop

[eternalmagic]

Sure. I wouldn't discount a group effort. [...okay, but.]

Its name was Morrissey?