#phoenixhearted

The crew was celebrating their successful take off from their plane into the next.

Taako was hanging back a bit, waiting for the best time to slip back to his room where he left his little sister. Because there was no way he was going to leave her alone for six months back home.

But, the celebrating didn’t last long as they all saw the dark storm and tendrils heading for their world, and devouring it.

And as soon as they crossed the threshold into this new plane, Taako stared out the window, eyes wide. After a moment, he sprinted to his room. As soon as he got there, he opened his door and dismissed the invisibility spell that he had put on Lup, seeing her sitting on his bed. He slid down in front of her on his knees, and stared at her for a moment before pulling her into a tight hug, holding her close as he curled around her a bit.

@phoenixhearted

Sometimes the worlds like the one the IPRE has currently touched down in are the best, and sometimes they’re the worst. The advent of civilization means that they won’t have to scavenge for food and shelter, but it also means learning the laws and the language and the customs in a real big hurry so they don’t wind up in jail or worse.

By cycle 66, they’ve been around the block more than a few times, and have learned how to streamline that process to a couple weeks of rapid fire research and learning before they integrate, but it’s still a pain. At least this time they found the light of creation within the first month, and now with Taako buckling down to do what he can to work on his process of replication, and the rest all flung out to the wind to explore this new world, it leaves Lup on her own to wander around and see what there is to see.

Disaster, as it often seems to do, follows her. It isn’t her fault, but she is nearby when an explosion sets off a nasty chain reaction. Smoke billows up through the sky in massive dark clouds, and a crash the likes of which she’s only heard a few times these past decades cracks through the morning air. By the time she rushes over to see what happened, one tall building has crumpled down into the street, blocking all traffic, and another apartment complex is being consumed by fire at an alarming rate, crumpled to the side and leaning on a third building, threatening to collapse itself.

   the stars were out, the shine of the moon bright enough to illuminate the sky, a great beast laid breathless on the ground, a basilisk bigger than a cow, a man in dark leather and ofcurse now the blood of the beast

Taako... wasn’t sure how to respond to that...

He’d never had to go through what Lup had...

he's been at this game for years. hundreds upon thousands, actually. it's no secret that his success in the bounty hunting business can be credited to the queen lending her power, though, he'd like to think his refined skill set also plays a role.

but, not always.

see, sometimes even the aged drow made mistakes. sometimes from his totally necessary for the job cowl getting tangled around his face during a chase. sometimes it's from tripping over his own feet or falling for the age old ' look over there ! '

it's the way he drags his feet across the carpet of the queen's palace that gives him away, like a child who knows they are to be scorned. in this case, though, it was going to be laughter. still, kravitz fell into his seat with an audible H U F F escaping from the worn furniture. it's funny to him as well, honest to the gods, but he also isn't one to enjoy admitting his stupid moments.

he fishes his stone of far speech from his breast pocket, tapping the armchair in contemplation before finally speaking.

My muse had been kidnapped and tortured for the past week send “I’m here- I’m here, now” for your muse to save them

“….Lulu-?” Taako’s voice was barely there. He hadn’t spoken in days - at least, not properly. He’d made sound, sure - as much as pained cries could count towards that front. Speaking HURT now, due to that. The week had been hell, a constant overflow of pain, his captors finding new, creative ways to hurt him each time. He wanted it to stop, wanted to go home, to have the others find him; Fuck, he’d even be grateful for the Hunger to show up at this point, since it would mean the cycle was over and he wouldn’t be in agony anymore.

Instinctively, he had flinched when someone new entered, shying away from any physical contact even after his bindings were cut. Sure, he knew he was being saved, but he’d been hurt so much, he had no way of knowing whether or not new contact would hurt, every interaction being one that put him through more and more horrible things. He couldn’t take anymore, he didn’t even have the energy to hide how hurt and scared he was. Taako whined, curling up to look as small as he could, to make himself a tinier target, one that would be harder to hurt if something did attack him.