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[It's been ten days exactly since Lup arrived in Hadriel (she is not including that weird ten day-stint in Pleasant Valley, no thanks) and enough is enough. There's still a lingering disconnect in all of the twins' interactions, an off-step between them that Lup can't keep pretending doesn't exist. Taako may be fine with sticking his fingers in his ears and singing instead of addressing the issue directly, but she isn't. There's just too much that she doesn't know.

There's too much about him that she doesn't understand.

It's late into the evening when Lup finally corners her brother in their shared room, the only clue to her arrival the soft click of the door behind her. She'd planned on having this conversation earlier, so much earlier, but sometimes it felt like Taako would pick up on her plan and disappear before she could confront him. Not this time though. She's ready for him.]

So. [Lup stays near the doorway, hands resting on her hips as she eyes her twin from across the room.] It's time for us to talk.

do you ever think about how dogs will never know why their parents leave for work every morning?

[ you know what this is. well okay no i guess not. taako may or may not know what this is at all and if he doesn't, he's luckier for it.

but merle is sure sending a blurry-ass photo of it with zero context. ]

hey

[There is absolutely no need to return this message.]

Sup, is this Taa-ko the elf? Yeah, me too. We'll do the secret elf handshake later. Say, I'm standing here with some jackass in a suit who seems to think you and I look related, even though I've never even spoken to you before, right? Yeah, that's what I thought.

[a brief pause before she continues on,] His name's Kravitz. Yep, sounds like the same jerkwad. I'll let 'im know. Sure, we'll have to meet up and chat about how prejudiced--[BEEP]

i need to talk to you

better if its in person

wanna get baked?

[ Yeah, that's

about it. No fanfare or preamble. She just really needs to get stoned but doesn't want to do it alone. Taako had been first on list after calling dibs and she was sticking true to that. She's been the only one to sample what Tranquility had let them grow, but- It was the real deal. ]

[ Should Taako venture up to the living room on the third floor of the TAZ house, he'll find he's not alone... there's a big guy sleeping on their couch, most definitely invited if the pillow and blanket he's been given are any indication. There's a duffel bag tucked out of the way beside it, and his boots.

Surely this cannot stand. ]

When will the sand be over?

Taako, I hate the sand.

Remember how you shoved my face into a sandcastle last week.
Because I just did.

I thought we had something.

I've got a bit of a magic problem. Do you have the time to meet?

are you friends with barry?

[A week away was just what Lup needed.

Since the event with Rage, since Lup last saw Barry, the city's felt stifling and unbearably hot, uncomfortable in a way that Lup hasn't felt since her very first few weeks into Hadriel months upon months ago. Being near Taako helps, his presence has always helped to keep her rooted, but there's a point where nearly a month has passed where enough is just enough. She loves her brother, adores the family they've come to call their own, but Lup needs a little time away from this house, away from the memories of Barry that linger here.

So she roped up a few of her closest friends and dragged them out on a trip outside of the city's boundaries and she was right all along. It was exactly what she needed.

When Lup steps back into Tres Horny home, she's a bit of a mess. Her short hair is wind-swept all over the place, a messy halo of light blonde around her head, that sticks up this way and that without order. The color of her skin's deepened by at least a shade from all of the direct contact out beneath the double suns, the light freckles on her face and against her shoulders more pronounced than ever. And she's dirty, covered in dust and dirt and grime from the trek home.

But she's beaming, looking and feeling lighter than ever, fueled by not only a return home to the people who matter most after a wonderful trip, but by the sweet words of her husband promising to meet her later that day. Things finally feel like they're coming back to some kind of balance, like it's all finally falling into place.

Until she steps into the room her and Taako share, that is.

They usually live like gremlins, but this is extreme even for them. Her twin looks exhausted in a way no spell could ever conceal, shoulders hunched and dark shadows under his eyes, like he hasn't slept in day. Lup drops her bag to the ground immediately, already toeing off her boots before she's moving closer to him.]

Have you been sitting there staring at the wall since I left, goobus?

I know you are not gone for good. I am sure of it. I think Lup feels it too. You always find each other.

Edited 2018-05-10 16:15 (UTC)

[ sometime this week, when taako is out and about, a small bird with long skinny legs flaps hurriedly down nearby. once it has their attention, its long skinny beak opens and words come pouring out! real actual words which don't sound bird voicey at all. in fact, it sounds like a familiar weird redhead they might know: ]

"Hi Taako! So I'm throwing a brunch in the orchard this Friday morning around elevenish and I'd love you to come! Please bring anything you--"

[ whoops, maybe there was more to the message? either way, the bird takes off again to fly out toward the horizon and back to its home island in the distance. feel free to interpret that unfinished request however you might, brunch buddy! ]

[He could get used to this.

Mornings tangled up with Taako, his hair in Kravitz's mouth and chin jutting sharply into his chest. It's perfect. He wasn't sure what to expect moving into the horny house, but he thinks he can put up with the noise and mess if he gets this in exchange.

He squeezes Taako tightly with both arms, half lifting him as he pulls the elf properly on top of him. Good morning.]

so when are you going to teach me some cool magic shit?

thought i'd ask before going to your competitor

[Also, Nate knows Taako would kill him.]

[There's always the danger of walking into a good dicking when one of the twins busts into either Kravitz or Barry's room unannounced since the big landscape change, but that doesn't seem to be a concern today when Lup pushes open the door to Kravitz's bedroom without knocking, no hesitation when she steps inside. It's still early in the morning, a little after seven, and the woman looks like she's just rolled out of bed, wide-eyed and messy-haired, still dressed in her pajamas from the previous night.]

Taako - [It doesn't matter how indecently the boys are dressed or if she's managed to catch them curled up around one another, Lup's voice is softer than it should be as she moves across the room to Taako's side, a cold hand moving to his arm.]

Taako.

Hi. Lovely weather. Can you make things out of nothing with magic?

Sunday
January 20th

Dear Taako,

I understand that you're still upset. I'm not going to ask you not to be, because you have every right. I know that I've made mistakes, and I'm sorry. I'm sorry that things turned out this way, and - well, I won't waste your time talking about it. I know you don't want to hear it.

I've tried to do as you ask, and give you your space. I can't pretend that I'm happy about it, but I'll respect your wishes, as long as you need. I know I owe you that much.

But please, Taako, understand that there's only so much I can do here. I can't erase the past. I can't undo the hurt I've caused you. I'm doing what I can and these childish games aren't getting us anywhere. I don't know whether you somehow managed to sneak in undetected and enchant every object in the house, or if you've developed an invisible Mage Hand spell, and of course either way I'm very impressed with your skill. But this morning my bed dumped me out onto the floor and the sheets tied themselves into a knot. All the pictues on the walls are upside down, and when I went into the kitchen the silverware had arranged itself into extremely rude words. You've made your point. Please let me rest.

Sincerely,

Lucretia

[Professionalism is not his strong suit, but Nate does his damnedest to scribe a boiler plate write-up that reads like something he might have issued from his office at the marine salvage company, as opposed to his usual informality.]

I'm heading up an expedition to the foothills of the mountain range in the next few days and looking for people with experience in excavation, long-term exploration, combat, and magic. I'm reaching out to you because I know you're proficient in at least one of these things, if not more, and I'm going to need all the help I can get.

It's a week out to the mountain range, maybe longer, and when we get there the intent is to locate and gain access to a bunker. With any luck we can learn something about this world we didn’t know before, and use it to our advantage.

This trip will be at least two weeks long. The weather is turning, snow is getting thick, and the temperatures will consistently be somewhere around freezing. Parts of this will suck. If you're interested, I need to know what you specifically can bring to the table in terms of survival and resources. Everyone's going to have to pitch in for shelter, food, and keeping watch, because we don't know what's out there.

Let me know as soon as you can. We leave at the first of the month.

Nathan Drake

[Wherever Taako is in the house, without any warning, Lup just comes throwing the door open and letting out an unintelligible shriek.]

AAHHHHHHHRRHHHGGGGHHHHHHHHHAA!

Edited 2019-06-09 04:31 (UTC)

[ Sometime after the effects of the latest Fear event have worn off, Taako will just get a boy detective slamming into his chest at 90 miles an hour, throwing his arms around him in a big, goobery hug. ]

SIRRRRRRR!

[ He's just. Wailing. Do not expect coherency from him right now. ]

action; 7/29

text at 3am

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text; [backdated to just before midnight of 8/10] 1/?????

Voicemail; 8/10

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