[He can't actually goof around about this one. Sure, he can tease Angus to his face, but behind his back he's just a kid, and shouldn't be in this situation. It makes him too angry to think about Angus being hurt by the Storm - and there wasn't anything Magnus could do about it. Without Darma...]
Hah. Yeah. [Good effort. Clenching a fist a little. Sorry he's so extra.] Tough break, kiddo.
[Yeah! He is! He is being extremely extra right now when Taako's just trying to sort out some complex feelings with some light ribbing of a frozen child? It makes it extremely difficult to not take this seriously when Magnus is taking it so stone cold and he is bumming out this whole area.]
Not to turn this whole thing into a weird sort of post-apocalypse shrine situation, but you think he'd feel left out if we didn't leave a banner for him too?
Hmmm, pretty good, pretty good. I like it. Could inspire something in Merle too. Or, one at the bottom that says "Look up!" and one near the ceiling that says "Look down!" and we see how long he stays here! On the other hand he could get trapped forever, seems dangerous.
[ Procrastinating a little is a little bit of a understatement. Taako picks up a glitter pen and sits on the floor to start decorating, but instead just . . . sits there. Wiggling the glitter pen in his hand and staring at the blank shirt/banner. ]
It's a big decision? Really, uh, sets the tone. For this whole arc, you know?
[Yeah. It is. But he gets that this is procrastination, too. And it's tempting to do that, but he doesn't want to. If someone is going to have to be brave, it's going to be Magnus. That's why he scribbles:
You Must Be This Tall To Enter:
(P.S. This Was Funnier, But Magnus Fucked It Up.]
I get you. But I don't have that many ideas? What do you think?
[Turns out the tone of this arc was already set, and it's called Avoiding Your Sadness At All Costs, the Taako and Magnus Story. It airs on Lifetime this Friday at 8. Taako half heartedly adds a few stars and swirls to this banner too - so Angus doesn't feel left out - but it's clear he knows what's coming. Going to just sit on the floor for a minute more though.]
That'll do, pig.
[Clicking the cap back on his glitter pen and returning it to his pocket. It's do or die time.
[Patting him on top of the head like he's a very talented pig who he would never cook and eat. It's sweet, but also very stupid. He picks up the shitty banner and affixes it above Ango's pod.]
Come on. Lots to see, and I only have so much shirt left.
If you say so! Looks like we've got plenty of shirt to me.
[And with that, every Horny Boy has been Babe'd, so they can officially check that one off the list. He has one last sigh as he contemplates how he could just take a run for the door, but the moment has clearly passed. Standing up though, to move onto the next pod - this time he's going to let Magnus look in first. He had to brave the last time, so maybe you rush in this one buddy.]
[Can do! He hurries ahead, peering into the nearby ice box. Who we got? He's hoping for someone low stakes - Killian, maybe, someone he can be happy to see without it being complicated.
You ask for complicated, and you get complicated.]
Oh, it's the Direc- I mean, Lucretia. [He looks at Taako, unsure. His feelings on the Director are pretty simple - he liked her, didn't know if they could trust her, learned the answer was a big maybe. The choice she made sounds like it was pretty messed up, and he doesn't love the lies, but also, if her intentions were in the right place, he can't be too angry? It turns out she took a lot from him, but he doesn't know enough about what she took to miss it, and in its place are things that matter to him too much to regret. Julia, Raven's Roost, the Bureau, even Taako and Merle -- it's hard to think that a century of new memories about Taako and Merle would be more meaningful than the memories he already has.
But he doesn't know how to expect Taako will feel about her. They're friends, right?]
[ Taako's feeling aren't any less complicated. He's angry, that much he knows, but it's not the same boiling point it was before this place - where the anger has had to chance to set in and settle to the bottom while he deals with all the other bullcrap coming at him from every direction. What was a sharp pain has dulled to numbness instead - though taking this little field trip is doing a pretty fine job of tearing out the stitches. Bury it friggin' deep.
This would be easier to explain if he'd gotten around to sharing the memories he had with Magnus, maybe explain some of his weirdness about this, but avoidance has yet again come to bite him in the ass. It isn't as if she's in any place to explain. It isn't as if he's in any place to listen to any explanation. For now, it just is. Any sort of forgiveness or discussion of it would have to wait. He just shrugs his shoulders and doesn't bother looking inside. ]
I don't have shit to, uh, say to her, so. [If you want a banner for her, you're on your own, Mango.]
[That doesn't quite sit right to him, though, so he frowns for a second, and then pulls out a small piece of paper (yes, he had that) and writes on it:
Coupon for One Free Backrub and One Mandatory Conversation About Your Recent Decisions
And he folds it up and tucks it into the handle of the pod.]
That'll do it. Let's see if Carey and Killian are around next, okay?
[ They're starting to narrow down the options of who is a "safe" pod to look at and who might cause the first domino in the Boiz II Men two domino meltdown parade, but Carey and Killian seem safe and easy to talk about. Also their banner won't be hard. Taako simply brushes past Lucretia's pod without stopping to look, holding onto his Umbrella just a little bit tighter. Cold shouldering someone who's already frozen might be a feat, but he's managing.
It's getting to the point where they have to rip a bandaid off eventually. He pauses a pretty awkwardly long time before he closes his eyes for the Magic GPS again, clearly trying to make his mind up on something. He takes a few steps in one direction - casting this is an act of focus on a person, and apparently deciding against wherever it was taking him the first time, he whips immediately 180 and starts marching the other way. To Carey and Killian for now! He doesn't have much to say right now, honestly. He mostly just wants to be mad for another minute.]
[Magnus presses his head up against the glass, first for Carey, then for Killian, then for the girl next to them, who they can recognize as Noelle back in her human body. Magnus draws a smiley face in the frost of the glass for all three of them.]
There we go. Hi, guys. I don't have that much shirt left, so we should make them a group banner. I think they'll understand, right?
So they just hand out free bodies here like a Harvest Festival Grabbag, huh? You'd think they could toss Taako a new one, just for kicks? Yeesh.
[ Okay, he's over his brief emotional attack. Thank god. That was terrible. Also they sorta forgot N0-3113, or, just plain Noelle now that they've magically given her a new body too, but hey, convenient that she's here and can be included on this banner, or they would have looked pretty rude. Anyway, Taako isn't volunteering any of HIS shirt to the cause, so. Yeah, economizing sounds good. ]
[Well this one has a busted bumper (face) and Taako's just been driving around with it duct-taped on. It's not super street legal. Whatever though, it's fine. Bigger problems. Such as the fact they are maybe officially out of non-traumatizing procrastination friends, unless they really want to start digging deeper cuts. ]
I think we gotta, uh, rip the band-aid off, my dude.
Let's check oh Johann. No, just kidding, dude's dead.
[Yeah, it's time. Hanging the banner, and then holding his palm out.]
Rock papers scissors, winner picks who's next. [He doesn't actually know whether Taako would prefer to do his dead sister first or last, but at least figures he'll give him the opportunity to cheat for his preference, like a gentleman.]
Johann's dead? When the fuck did that happen? Did I miss something. Whatever, get into it later, I guess.
[ HE DIDN'T . . . actually know that. What a way to find out. A goof. I mean, he's not like cut to the core about poor old Johann kickin' it, but. Yikes? That's a little bit of a bummer. Still, there are better dead people to visit first - Taako himself isn't actually sure whether he wants to visit his dead sister first or last. Holding out a fist while he waits to do the countdown. This is the easiest game in the world to cheat, but for once in his life, he leaves it up to fate. A little joke there. Istus might get a chuckle out of it if she weren't total Hunger-toast.]
[Magnus the Rock Burnsides, predictably, always chooses rock. It's just the one that speaks to his heart. How can a scissors or a paper hope to defeat the mighty rock? So, yeah. He throws down rock. And of course, he pounds the rock on Taako's measly scissors.]
Crushed ya. Let's go check on your sister, okay?
[He's not sure whether he's being gallant or selfish with that choice. On the one hand, he wants to be emotional support for Taako, and he's not sure how he'll feel, after, well... On the other hand, maybe he just doesn't want to have to be brave afterwards, and this saves him the responsibility. Either way.]
[ If anything Taako would respect a selfish choice. He gets it. It's a selfish choice to make Magnus pick who's emotional turmoil they step into next. It's a selfish choice to make Magnus be his entire emotional support right now. And it's a selfish choice to knowingly throw himself into Magnus' dead wife reunion tour while knowing he's not exactly great at being emotional support himself. Magnus kind of owes it to himself to be a little selfish about this one, maybe.
Taako just nods, taking a second to prepare. Casting the spell isn't exactly a challenge - but for the first time since he's been here he has to stand there and concentrate on Lup, on what she looks like (a lot like him, so, easy enough), and holding that image in his head while the spell searches. It's been kind of a meandering path to the others when he's looked for them, letting his mind get distracted and wandering off the path, or forgetting what he was doing for a few seconds, but this time he's making an extremely fast beeline for somewhere. His eyes are closed, so better be on point with the whole making sure he doesn't run into things, Magnus. ]
[Yes, of course. Gripping him by the shoulders and steering him every time he comes close.
He honestly doesn't know how to feel about this. It's confusing. He empathizes with Taako's feelings at losing a sister easily, but since he knows nothing about her, he can't exactly process those feelings, either. And it's Taako - who isn't exactly impervious to pain, but who always puts up such a defiant front in pretending he is. He just doesn't know what to make about Taako like this, or how to imagine he'd feel in this type of situation. So, he's nervous, and not only because eventually he'll have to process his own pain.]
[ He slows down once the signal in his head gets loud enough - stopping out of the blue and simply staring at the pod she's supposed to be in for a few seconds. It's kind the last moment of (slightly comforting) uncertainty he has - at this point it's obvious she's in there, but actually having to confirm it with his eyeballs suddenly seems like a hard task.
Also he can't think of anything to put on her banner at all. It's gotta be good though, doesn't it, or he'll never live it down. "Gone Leavin' - Taako and Magnus."
He only glances back briefly to check if Magnus is still there and able to judge him, which he obviously is, before breaking down and just jogging over to the pod to press his face to glass. It's not very chill or graceful, but no one here is gonna say shit to him about that - mostly because the person who would give him shit about being unchill about it is, yup, in that tank and taking a hardcore superfreeze powernap. They really are generous with the new bodies here, aren't they. Anyway, time to figure out what the first thing you say to your un-undead sister, when she isn't even awake to zing you back. ]
Hey, dingdong, wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!
[Oh that's bad. Is he trying to annoy her awake. It might work. He pauses like something might happen . . . and nothing does.]
[He's here but he's not able to judge him, no. Just following after, a little awkward, because he doesn't know this person. He also has to peer in around Taako's head, so he can only get a glimpse of what she looks like. But he needs to do something, so he just starts speaking in a loud obvious voice.]
Come on, Taako, let's bail. We're going to go hang out with the cool people who didn't get frozen.
[Softly stomping his feet to make walking away sounds.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Hah. Yeah. [Good effort. Clenching a fist a little. Sorry he's so extra.] Tough break, kiddo.
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Not to turn this whole thing into a weird sort of post-apocalypse shrine situation, but you think he'd feel left out if we didn't leave a banner for him too?
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Yeah, obviously we gotta do one for Ango. What're you thinking? You must be this tall to get unfrozen?
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[Are they procrastinating? They're procrastinating a little.]
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It's a big decision? Really, uh, sets the tone. For this whole arc, you know?
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You Must Be This Tall To Enter:
(P.S. This Was Funnier, But Magnus Fucked It Up.]
I get you. But I don't have that many ideas? What do you think?
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That'll do, pig.
[Clicking the cap back on his glitter pen and returning it to his pocket. It's do or die time.
Is it too late to make a run for the exit.]
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[Patting him on top of the head like he's a very talented pig who he would never cook and eat. It's sweet, but also very stupid. He picks up the shitty banner and affixes it above Ango's pod.]
Come on. Lots to see, and I only have so much shirt left.
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[And with that, every Horny Boy has been Babe'd, so they can officially check that one off the list. He has one last sigh as he contemplates how he could just take a run for the door, but the moment has clearly passed. Standing up though, to move onto the next pod - this time he's going to let Magnus look in first. He had to brave the last time, so maybe you rush in this one buddy.]
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You ask for complicated, and you get complicated.]
Oh, it's the Direc- I mean, Lucretia. [He looks at Taako, unsure. His feelings on the Director are pretty simple - he liked her, didn't know if they could trust her, learned the answer was a big maybe. The choice she made sounds like it was pretty messed up, and he doesn't love the lies, but also, if her intentions were in the right place, he can't be too angry? It turns out she took a lot from him, but he doesn't know enough about what she took to miss it, and in its place are things that matter to him too much to regret. Julia, Raven's Roost, the Bureau, even Taako and Merle -- it's hard to think that a century of new memories about Taako and Merle would be more meaningful than the memories he already has.
But he doesn't know how to expect Taako will feel about her. They're friends, right?]
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This would be easier to explain if he'd gotten around to sharing the memories he had with Magnus, maybe explain some of his weirdness about this, but avoidance has yet again come to bite him in the ass. It isn't as if she's in any place to explain. It isn't as if he's in any place to listen to any explanation. For now, it just is. Any sort of forgiveness or discussion of it would have to wait. He just shrugs his shoulders and doesn't bother looking inside. ]
I don't have shit to, uh, say to her, so. [If you want a banner for her, you're on your own, Mango.]
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[That doesn't quite sit right to him, though, so he frowns for a second, and then pulls out a small piece of paper (yes, he had that) and writes on it:
Coupon for One Free Backrub and One Mandatory Conversation About Your Recent Decisions
And he folds it up and tucks it into the handle of the pod.]
That'll do it. Let's see if Carey and Killian are around next, okay?
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It's getting to the point where they have to rip a bandaid off eventually. He pauses a pretty awkwardly long time before he closes his eyes for the Magic GPS again, clearly trying to make his mind up on something. He takes a few steps in one direction - casting this is an act of focus on a person, and apparently deciding against wherever it was taking him the first time, he whips immediately 180 and starts marching the other way. To Carey and Killian for now! He doesn't have much to say right now, honestly. He mostly just wants to be mad for another minute.]
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There we go. Hi, guys. I don't have that much shirt left, so we should make them a group banner. I think they'll understand, right?
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[ Okay, he's over his brief emotional attack. Thank god. That was terrible. Also they sorta forgot N0-3113, or, just plain Noelle now that they've magically given her a new body too, but hey, convenient that she's here and can be included on this banner, or they would have looked pretty rude. Anyway, Taako isn't volunteering any of HIS shirt to the cause, so. Yeah, economizing sounds good. ]
Regulators Drool, Reclaimers Rule.
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[He's scribbling a big 'Regulators Drool, Reclaimers Rule' on the banner in various different sparkle pen colors.]
Pretty good, yeah? Anything else to add?
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I think we gotta, uh, rip the band-aid off, my dude.
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[Yeah, it's time. Hanging the banner, and then holding his palm out.]
Rock papers scissors, winner picks who's next. [He doesn't actually know whether Taako would prefer to do his dead sister first or last, but at least figures he'll give him the opportunity to cheat for his preference, like a gentleman.]
Oh no. How sad. He died.
[ HE DIDN'T . . . actually know that. What a way to find out. A goof. I mean, he's not like cut to the core about poor old Johann kickin' it, but. Yikes? That's a little bit of a bummer. Still, there are better dead people to visit first - Taako himself isn't actually sure whether he wants to visit his dead sister first or last. Holding out a fist while he waits to do the countdown. This is the easiest game in the world to cheat, but for once in his life, he leaves it up to fate. A little joke there. Istus might get a chuckle out of it if she weren't total Hunger-toast.]
Uh, three, two, one . . .
[Throwin' down Scissors. ]
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Crushed ya. Let's go check on your sister, okay?
[He's not sure whether he's being gallant or selfish with that choice. On the one hand, he wants to be emotional support for Taako, and he's not sure how he'll feel, after, well... On the other hand, maybe he just doesn't want to have to be brave afterwards, and this saves him the responsibility. Either way.]
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Taako just nods, taking a second to prepare. Casting the spell isn't exactly a challenge - but for the first time since he's been here he has to stand there and concentrate on Lup, on what she looks like (a lot like him, so, easy enough), and holding that image in his head while the spell searches. It's been kind of a meandering path to the others when he's looked for them, letting his mind get distracted and wandering off the path, or forgetting what he was doing for a few seconds, but this time he's making an extremely fast beeline for somewhere. His eyes are closed, so better be on point with the whole making sure he doesn't run into things, Magnus. ]
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He honestly doesn't know how to feel about this. It's confusing. He empathizes with Taako's feelings at losing a sister easily, but since he knows nothing about her, he can't exactly process those feelings, either. And it's Taako - who isn't exactly impervious to pain, but who always puts up such a defiant front in pretending he is. He just doesn't know what to make about Taako like this, or how to imagine he'd feel in this type of situation. So, he's nervous, and not only because eventually he'll have to process his own pain.]
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Also he can't think of anything to put on her banner at all. It's gotta be good though, doesn't it, or he'll never live it down. "Gone Leavin' - Taako and Magnus."
He only glances back briefly to check if Magnus is still there and able to judge him, which he obviously is, before breaking down and just jogging over to the pod to press his face to glass. It's not very chill or graceful, but no one here is gonna say shit to him about that - mostly because the person who would give him shit about being unchill about it is, yup, in that tank and taking a hardcore superfreeze powernap. They really are generous with the new bodies here, aren't they. Anyway, time to figure out what the first thing you say to your un-undead sister, when she isn't even awake to zing you back. ]
Hey, dingdong, wakey wakey, eggs and bakey!
[Oh that's bad. Is he trying to annoy her awake. It might work. He pauses like something might happen . . . and nothing does.]
No? Thought that might work.
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Come on, Taako, let's bail. We're going to go hang out with the cool people who didn't get frozen.
[Softly stomping his feet to make walking away sounds.]
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🚨 Sad Boy Alert 🚨
🚨 please send help trapped on sad boy island SOS 🚨
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