#and lup randomly drops this on you

[barry-j-blupjeans]

taakitz for prompt no. 20: The tv is playing but you didn't turn it on <3

20. The tv is playing but you didn't turn it on

--

Kravitz would like to say he didn't believe in ghosts. To be honest, he figured that since he worked at a funeral home, if there were ghosts, he would have seen one by now. Instead, he had only seen lots of dead people. And some teenagers, definitely not dead, but pushing the boundaries after the Parkour Incident. But the fact still remains: Kravitz was the prime target for spooky ghost visits and nothing had happened yet.

Until he moved.

His new apartment was odd, to say the least. Like, freaky and fucked up at the best of times, downright sinister at the worst. The thermostat malfunctioned often. Kravitz would have it at a comfortable 72, but it'd drop randomly down to the mid-fifties or lower. The doors never seemed to close correctly and always opened back up after he closed them. He would like to blame his neighbors for the consistent heavy footsteps, but he can't really tell if the sound is coming from upstairs or downstairs.

There were perfectly logical explanations for everything. Sometimes, the taps on his sink would randomly switch on. They must be like the doors, then, too old to hold in one place. His lights flickered in and out at inopportune times, even after he changed the bulbs. The electricity must be rocky around here. Sometimes random bowls and plates would fall out of his cabinets. He must have stacked them unevenly when he put them back.

The TV would switch to a different channel halfway in to his favorite shows. That one... that one was just annoying, to be honest.

It was the middle of the night, two months after he had moved in when there was talking from his living room. Kravitz hadn't been able to sleep yet (chronic insomnia was rude like that), so he very clearly heard the voices.

You forgot to turn off the TV, the logical voice in his head said.

"I forgot to turn off the TV," Kravitz said in agreement. He slipped out from beneath the covers and put on his slippers, making his way out of his room. He could see the light of the TV from the hallway, confirming his suspicions. Only there was another problem, besides how awful his cable bill was going to be this month.

There was a man sitting on his couch, watching the TV. Kravitz froze. He had forgotten to lock the doors, too, didn't he?

Except the guy was transparent. Like, Kravitz could see the ugly pillow his mom had knitted him through the man's stomach levels of transparent.

"I'm dreaming," Kravitz said.

"Nah homie," transparent man said. "You're just real fucking stupid."

"I'm not- who the hell are you?"

Transparent man grinned at him, patting the couch as if he wanted Kravitz to sit down next to him.

"I live here," transparent man said.

"Are you paying rent?" Kravitz shot back. Transparent man snorted, raising his hands in defense.

"Good point," he said. "Maybe a better way to phrase it is that I, uh, lived here. Don't really anymore consider, y'know, this." He gestured at himself.

"I'm definitely dreaming," Kravitz said, rubbing his eyes and squinting at the man. He rolled his eyes and turned back to watch the TV. There was a cooking show on. Kravitz had to do a double take seeing the host of the show. Transparent man seemed to notice and leaned back on the couch, crossing his legs.

"That was me," he said, pointing a finger at the TV. "Fun being famous and all. Would not recommend the "getting murdered" part, though."

Well. If this was a dream, then Kravitz might as well go along with it. He crept towards the couch and transparent man scooted over to give him room. On the TV, non-transparent man was making macarons.

"It's just reruns nowadays," transparent man said. "Nothin' too interesting. I honestly thought they were gonna stop airing it after what happened, but I bet Lup had something to do with it."

Kravitz pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged on the couch, watching as non-transparent man added food coloring to his mixture. His dreams had been pretty weird lately, but at least this one seemed sort of calm.

#taakitz #taako #kravitz #taz #im kinda ehh about this one but it is what it is ig sdkfsd #asks #cornflowerrblues #ise cube writing #mine

[desiree-harding-fic]

On Loving one Taako Taaco

ReJEANcy again! Taako is away on business. Lup and Kravitz attend a party as new in laws. The people who can boast to be loved by Taako form an exclusive club. AKA: Lup and Kravitz are best friends and I will never not use the fact that Kravitz and Taako fell in love without Lup around in canon to my advantage because it has me feeling Some Kinda Way.

As always, thanks to @fandomsnstuff for you know... everything?

This felt longer when I wrote it but oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Enjoy!

ReJEANcy can be found Here and Here.

*~*~*~*~*

The evening came to its close, and with it, Kravitz and Lup retired with all due gallantry and ceremony, making their excuses and saying their goodbyes, until their coach was pulled around the front of the manor house drive, and Kravitz himself held out his hand to help Lup step up into the carriage.

She could not help but notice that the other guests began filtering out as well at their departure, and with it came the errant wondering - whether all in the county followed Kravitz’s lead in everything. She supposed they would, as he owned the majority of it. As the coach pulled away, beginning the long journey back to Astral, her thoughts strayed to the many introductions of the evening, to Kravitz’s neighbors, his friends.

Never had she been treated with such respect and deference in company. It was intimidating, in a way, to stand by Kravitz’s side; he could not stand in a room without one immediately taking notice of his excellent manner and breeding. He inspired a certain self-consciousness in company, it was clear, though he seemed at all times to combat it with a practiced grace. What a ridiculous thing money was, she thought, to inspire such feeling in a crowd. That simply because Kravitz’s wealth was so vast, he was treated as a great man. 

And by extension, she as a very great woman. And there lay the contradiction to her first inclination. That as intimidating as it was to stand on Kravitz’s arm, there was a power to it. That the difference between the treatment of Miss Lup Taaco, and Kravitz’s sister-in-law Miss Taaco was tangible.

It was another thing about him, she thought, perhaps the thing that most swayed her to liking him;  that beyond the other facets of his character, one thing had stood out: he had, from the moment they first met, treated Lup not as a lower-class member of the gentry, a supposed gentleman’s daughter with no fortune to her name. No, he had always acted, from the moment he was introduced to her, as though Lup was every bit his equal in rank, class, circumstance, breeding, and all. And in company, his example was always followed, for who would dare offend Lord Kravitz of Davenshire? 

She wondered if Taako had felt this way when Kravitz was courting him. There was something intoxicating about standing on Kravitz’s arm, being so well treated and highly thought of. It was no wonder he had been taken with the man in so short a time.

“You are contemplative,” Kravitz said, from where he sat opposite her. He was leaned back against the wall of the carriage, one leg bent on the seat, all relaxation now that they were unobserved. “What are you thinking of?”

He looked warm from the evening’s wine. Lup felt much the same: warm, loose, a bit tired from drink and company. It led her, perhaps, to speak more earnestly than she was used to.

“That you treat me better than I deserve, in their eyes,” she replied. His head cocked to the side, slow, brow furrowing inquisitively. “You behave in company as though I am your equal,” she explained,  “when women of my status are not even  allowed into the rooms in which you are treated as an honored guest. You have married Taako; I may be his sister, but my circumstances are unchanged. I am not accustomed to being treated as equal to someone of such rank as yourself.”

The man looked amused, a smirk on his lips.

“Taako would have me believe you are not my equal at all; rather he would tell me that you are my better. I believe he has said as much more than once.”

Lup laughed, quiet.

“He would say it.” She could not help but smile. Taako was better to her than she deserved.

“He thinks more highly of you than of any person living or dead,” Kravitz said, and Lup was taken, once again, by how… lucky she was.

“I am fortunate it is so,” she replied, her voice falling quiet. Kravitz looked at her fondly, and Lup thought how much more handsome he seemed here, quiet and relaxed and content in a comfortable space all his own. In company he was like a marble, fixed and perfected. He was much the same at the Estate when he was working, in order that those who worked under his name could follow a strong, confident example. She much preferred the softer iteration of him here, with life flowing through him, and so obviously. She thought that this must have been what Taako saw in him when he consented to marry him.

“My brother does not love easily,” she said, the words abruptly coming up from somewhere deep, secret, and true inside of her, spilling from her lips quickly and unexpectedly, lingering in the still air. She must’ve been inspired to say them by the drink, or by the intimate darkness of the swaying carriage, but now that she had said them, she felt at once as though there was a weight on her chest that, if not removed at once, would surely kill her. She tore her eyes from Kravitz, gazed toward the window at the blackness of the country night. 

“If I knew him any measure less than I do,” she confessed, “if anything had driven us from one another as children… I might believe that he had no heart at all.”

She looked back to Kravitz. His brow was furrowed once more, and he appeared fixed on her every word.

“It is quite the opposite you know,” she said. “It took me so long to understand, when we were younger. But he is not without feeling; rather… he feels so much, when he allows himself, that he can hardly stand it. He is so capable of love that he feels the need to conceal his heart behind wit and artifice, behind distant manners. It is how he survives this world; if everything were to touch him, as it touches us, he would drown from the force of it.”

Lup could not continue for the lump in her throat. She had always been the only one, save Auntie, who could understand the warmth under Taako’s iron exterior, the softness that he hid away for fear that it would one day be his destruction. Lup was the only one in the world who knew Taako enough to understand that to be loved by him was the greatest privilege man could bestow, so great, sometimes, that it was almost painful to know. Lup was the only one who understood the responsibility implied in being one of Taako’s beloved.

And then there was Kravitz.

“I apologize,” she said, around her tightened throat. “I am sure these are not revelations to you. But I must confess I was… taken off guard, upon my arrival to Davenshire, by how much he has come to care for you.” And suddenly it was vital that Kravitz understand, in no uncertain terms, how great his responsibility was too, alongside hers.

“Against all odds, you have captured my brother’s heart,” she said, looking at Kravitz, beautiful Kravitz, and she felt she would cry any moment. She spoke with as much gravity as she would muster, the wine in her blood loosening her tongue to an honesty she rarely felt confident enough to employ.

“You must be very careful with it.”

Kravitz looked warily at her, sympathy deep in his eyes. But with it, something more, something she could not yet identify. 

“I intend to be,” he hedged, and Lup shook her head, closing her eyes, and then looking at him imploringly, leaning forward in her seat. 

“You do not understand me. He will love you like no one alive can. I do not say it lightly. It is… to be loved by my brother, actively, is like nothing else. But betray the trust he places in you for a moment, Kravitz, and it will destroy him. It will break him so that he dares not allow himself to love again, and if there is one thing I will not see, it is my brother, shut off from this world and heartless.

“He weathered the death of our Aunt last year,” she said, “She was one of two people I could say definitively that Taako cared for. I am the other. You are the third I have seen him open himself to in the way that he has in my lifetime.” She swallowed thickly, thinking of Taako’s frightened, joyful expression the first moment he confessed to Lup that he loved Kravitz. Lup had never seen anything akin to it in the world.

“You must understand,” she said, “that you carry his heart in your hands now. He has made himself defenseless for you, and there is nothing in existence he fears more than that. There is no bravery he can summon greater than that which allows him to trust. It has never been simple for him. If he loves you, Kravitz, and he does, it is, whether you know it or not, the result of contemplation deeper and more labored than you can possibly have known when you asked him for his hand.

“I am his sister. He has always trusted me, in our own way. But he has chosen to place his trust in you, quite against his nature, and your responsibility is greater for it.” She blinked the tears from her eyes. To think Taako had only been absent a few days, and she missed him so terribly already. She did not understand how she had lasted in London without him, without being on the receiving side of that deep, overwhelming affection - without seeing him errantly in the hall or across a crowded room, and remembering, every moment, that she would do anything in the world for him.

Kravitz was gazing at her with wide eyes, half frightened, but immensely serious nonetheless, and Lup thought, of all people she had ever met, he seemed the one to hear her words and take them to heart more deeply than any.

“It is precarious ground upon which we stand, you and I,” she said, wryly. “Those who love him as we do.” She chuckled wetly. “But he is the best of us, is he not?”

“He is worth every trial,” Kravitz said then, conviction imbued in every aspect of his voice, and a wave of relief and affection swept over Lup so suddenly that she could hardly breathe. That Kravitz, with one sentence, had made it clear that he knew not only the weight of bearing Taako’s love, but also that he had come, independently, to the conclusion that he would bear it willingly, was a greater gift to her heart than any she could have received from her brother-in-law in all her life. The relief that there was someone in Taako’s life who understood him so that if she was made to leave him, he would be held in safe and loving hands was enough to finally bring the tears spilling from the corners of her eyes. And the kinship that had been lurking in the back of her mind; the sense that Kravitz knew her in an unspeakable way, simply for how much he was able to see the value of her brother, grew in her suddenly and fiercely until it was all consuming.

She smiled at Kravitz.

“Then you are worthy of  him,” she said. And she let her head rest against the carriage wall, and her eyes to slide shut.

*~*~*~*~*

#taz balance #lup taaco #kravitz #taakitz #reJEANcy #regency au #lup and kravitz are best friends because only they understand how dope taako is #and also guys? I love him #this entire excerpt is me waxing poetic about how good taako is while using lup as a thinly veiled excuse #imagine being kravitz tho #and lup randomly drops this on you #fuk my dude

[mcnuggyy]

Hi Izel! After reading a lot of yours and others' posts, I am wanting to carefully layer more Latine attributes to Taako and Lup when I write them. One of Taako's quirks are his vocatives (my dude, homie, bubeleh, etc). What would be some good Spanish language/northern Mexican-oriented vocatives that I can use here and there? Maybe some affectionate, and insulting ones too :D I don't want to just pick random Spanish insults, I want it to really sound like him you know? tysm for your advice!!

oH!!!!! HELL YEAH!!! I got a few for you!! Though a lot of these are regional cause my knowledge is very specific to the Spanish I learned from my parents, so it’ll be a bit specific (also leans heavily towards the Spanish my dad uses cause i love it a lot fjfjfj)

Compadre/Comadre OKAY SO LOOKING AT QUOTES, HE ACTUALLY SAYS COMPADRES IN CANON SO, THERE YA GO. That one is a GIVEN. EASY. Compadres is especially great cause we use it for friends that are so close they’re pretty much family at this point, and it’s comforting as well, kind of a home-y vibe to it imo, so compadres is very very good. Now let’s talk alternatives and all that, there’s a short hand like, compa (which is masculine), and comadre (feminine) idk if there’s a shorthand for comadre, but if there is, i never hear it used :0

ex: (from canon!) “Bad news compadres, this place is magic as hell!”

Jefe, this means boss! So it’s like saying you’re the boss! and usually you say it to strangers to show respect but in a friendly way? It’s a very small town-y way to refer to someone if that makes sense fjfjfj? Which is why I love when my dad says it jaja. (I wouldn’t recommend using this for women because it would then be Jefa which is typically used more for old ladies so it’s not great... It’s kind of like a bro term in that sense! But I use masculine terms for myself all the time, Spanish and English, despite being nonbinary so it doesn’t have to be too strict either!) 

ex: “Where do you want me to drop these bags, jefe?”

Fulano y Fulana  This is like saying “what’s his name” or “so and so” or even like John Doe, or BIlly Bob, just very common name’s to mean somebody random! Good to use if you don’t know someone's name but wanna talk about them, especially good for Taako since he straight up forgets peoples names in canon all the time, so having him call them Fulano/Fulana would be very funny and good JAJAJAA (THIS CAN ALSO BE ADDED ONTO WITH Mengano/a y Zutano/a y  Perengano/a)

ex: “Who cares! Fulano, Zutano, Mengano! They all had the same ugly bowlcut anyways!”

mijo/mija/mije this right here is a good term of endearment for people younger than you! Especially kids and teenagers, or if you’re an old person you pretty much use this for everyone rjfhrjfhr, although this is usually reserved for your actual child, it is very often used in Mexico as a term of care/endearment/etc. towards those younger than you! kinda like sweetheart! 

ex: *referring to Angus “Alright mijo, I think that’s enough magic learnin’ for today...”

chucherías, Now this one is one of my favorite words, so this is very self indulgent, but it basically just means nick knacks, and trinkets, but like useless stuff ya know? So like when you go shopping and get a lot of meaningless stuff you don’t actually need? That’s a bunch of chucherías.

ex: “Lup, Lupis, Lupita, you know I love Merle, but we can NOT bring him with us to the swap meet. All he does is get millions of chucherías every single time, without fail, and somehow I always end up having to help him pay for it.”

As always try not to use them too often, so it doesn’t sound forced and weird, like they’re just randomly switching into Spanish every 5 minutes, cause ya know, weird and nobody talks like that fjfjfj. Try and keep it very rare, and only when it really works for the sentence/situation. (words like mijo/mija and compa/compadre/comadre, can be used a bit more often, but as stated before just try to be mindful with how often you use them) You can even have the twins only talking in Spanish to themselves to gossip about other people or share a secret, which is something me and my siblings do allllll the time!! and feels very much in character so there ya go jaja, but ye!!!!  Hope these help!!! There’s way more stuff out there too but these are the one’s I think work best for the twins and who they are! If you ever need any more my DMs are always open! ;w;

#weee! #taz #halcyonhowl #replies #callate guero

[comradelup]

51 and 30 + blupcretia,, post cycle 65?

Lucretia is on direct and strict orders to take it easy. Usually when she’s told that, she finds in herself the desire to keep working, to power through whatever the others have deemed incapacitating enough for her to stop. But after the year she’s had, she lets them fuss over her.

On top of being tired, she’s gotten clingy too— it’s like she’s emotionally without her morning coffee. Hugs are longer and more frequent, and no one really comments on them; they all get it, they’ve all had the impacts from cycles bleed into the next ones. She’s never felt more lucky to have Barry and Lup in her life. They hold her when she needs the contact, they console her when she randomly bursts into tears at resurfacing memories, they’re just there for her in a way she dearly missed over that year.

Even the littlest things leave butterflies in her stomach, like right now. Their bedroom is now what was Barry and Lucretia’s rooms, the wall knocked down and the beds pushed together. A second desk has been brought in so they can work simultaneously. They’re next to each other, against perpendicular walls, and Barry and Lucretia sit at them. He’s idly flipping through a book and she’s jotting down a small to-do list, and their free hands are intertwined between them. No words are spoken, as no words are needed; Lucretia simply enjoys feeling his touch in hers, and the occasional swipe of his thumb over her skin.

She really is going to take it easy this cycle, but she still has things to do. A chronicler’s work is never done, and she’s often busiest at the beginning of the cycle. She has to document the basics of this cycle— like planets, races, general geography— as well as their initial reactions, plans to get the Light, interactions with locals, things like that. Not to mention she has to write down the others’ experience in cycle sixty-five. (For her own part, she’s just going to write that she survived for the year. It might be lazy and selfish, but she’s not going to relive those memories for the sake of documenting them, not right now.) It’s a lot of work, but she’s going to take it slow, so she’s just starting with a list.

The door opens, and in steps Lup. Lucretia doesn’t look up, but she hears, “Okay, break time! Pencils down, babes.”

Lucretia lets hers fall to the table, dropping Barry’s hand to turn and face Lup, who has a tray of drinks with her, along with a bright smile that makes Lucretia’s heart warm.

“Taako made hot chocolate and I stole it so we could have a hot chocolate party,” Lup says, putting the tray on the edge of their bed and walking up to both of them, hands outstretched. “Now get away from the desks and into bed so we can cuddle.”

Lucretia chuckles, her and Barry taking Lup’s hands and letting her help them up. Lucretia takes a mug on her way to sitting down at the head of the bed, legs tucked under the blankets. Barry sits on one side and wraps one arm around her shoulders, his other hand cradling his own mug. Lucretia takes a sip and sighs at the warmth that she feels spreading through her body.

“Oh, that’s perfect,” she says, “Thank you, Lup.”

“Of course,” Lup says, sitting herself down on Lucretia’s other side with her own mug. She presses a kiss to Lucretia’s forehead, right along the edge of the beanie over her hair, before laying her head on Lucretia’s shoulder. Lucretia wraps her free arm around Lup’s waist.

“Yeah, this is really good,” Barry says, taking another quick sip. “I’ll have to… to thank Taako.”

“Later though,” Lup says, “Now we’re just chillaxin’.”

“Any special reason?” Lucretia asks, taking another sip.

“Nope!” Lup announces proudly. “I just know you two nerds get sucked into your work.”

“You do too,” Barry points out, and Lucretia nods.

Lup pouts a little. “Okay but right now I’m not. So I’m watching out for you.” She leans forward enough to stick her tongue out at Barry and he laughs.

“Plus,” Lup adds as she settles back into the embrace, a little nervous. “I wanna make sure you’re doing okay, Lucy.”

Lucretia smiles. She’s happy they’re looking out for her. “I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” Barry asks, concern clear in his tone.

“Mmhm. As long as I have you two, I’ll be okay.”

“That’s sappy,” Lup says. She kisses Lucretia’s cheek and adds, “We’ll always be here for you.”

“That’s even sappier,” Barry says, “But uh, yeah.” He kisses her temple.

Lucretia smiles into her mug. “I know you will. Thank you.”

“You just— you haven’t talked about it much,” Lup says, “We’re always here to talk.”

Lucretia pauses, swallowing as well as thinking of her response. “I don’t think I’m ready to talk right now. I just want to drill it in my head that it’s over.”

Barry kisses her temple again. “Well, whenever you’re ready, y’know, you know where to find us.”

Lucretia nods. “Honestly? Just you being here has helped me so much. I was so… lonely and cold. You two are really warm, and I really love that about you.”

“Aww,” Lup says, “Lucy you’re gonna make me cry.”

She sits up enough to tilt Lucretia’s head into a kiss, and she tastes of chocolate and that same reviving warmth. Lucretia brings up a hand to cup Lup’s cheek and swipe a thumb across her cheekbone, though the tears seem to be an empty threat. Once the kiss breaks she leans her forehead against Lup’s and opens her mouth to say something, but all that comes out is a yawn.

“You tired?” Barry asks, rubbing a steady hand up and down her upper arm.

Lucretia nods, taking another sip from her mug. “A little.”

Lup puts down her mug and gently pries Lucretia’s from her hands. “I think you should sleep then.”

“Or I can mix hot chocolate with coffee,” Lucretia offers. “Doesn’t taste good, but it works.”

“No,” Lup says immediately, “We’re not doing that.”

“…Have you done that before?” Barry asks, sounding scared.

“How else would I have gotten through the university?” Lucretia asks, head turning from Barry to Lup and back like a tennis match. “I thought everyone did.”

“Oh, babe,” is all Barry says, putting down his own mug before helping Lucretia get under the covers.

“We lived off of coffee, yeah, but mixing them? Like some fucked up smoothie?” Lup looks absolutely bewildered as she stands. “You’re on your own there.”

“I wanted variety,” Lucretia mumbles. Now that she’s horizontal, her tiredness is even more apparent. Barry’s moving under the covers too, taking off his glasses then hers and laying them on the nightstand. She cuddles into his warm embrace.

“I kind of want to finish my book, though,” Barry says. Lucretia hums into his shoulder; too late for him, she’s not letting him go.

“I can read it to you, if you want,” Lup offers. She sounds like she’s stretching, and Lucretia even hears the sound of her back pop.

“You don’t have to do that,” Barry says.

“No I want to! I’m gonna give you nerds a bedtime story and you’re gonna like it.” Lucretia hears Lup walk to Barry’s desk and back, and she settles back on the bed, on Lucretia’s other side.

“Wow, you’ve gotten far in this, hon,” Lup says, mostly to herself, as she flips pages.

“You won’t even, like, understand what’s happening without context,” Barry says, and Lucretia feels it as much as she hears it. She sighs into his shirt, already half asleep. Barry’s hand starts to rub up and down her back.

“Yeah, there’s only… one more chapter ‘til you’re done,” Lup says, “Welp! Good thing I don’t care about spoilers, let’s go.”

She starts reading, pausing on strange words and adding her own commentary as she goes. She gives characters inaccurate voices that make Barry laugh, making herself laugh in turn.

Lucretia would laugh along, but she’s already asleep, warmly snuggled between her partners; it’s a feeling she was afraid of never experiencing again, and she’s never been happier to be wrong.

#taz #taz balance #the adventure zone #taz fic #blupcretia #i saw this ask first come into my inbox and went :D!!! out loud #the way to a writer’s heart is through their favorite ship #balance #lucretia #barry #lup #writing #ask #staarblaster #this is that GOOD hurt/comfort shit i’m looking for. be the change you wanna see! #merle: i diagnose you with need-to-chill-itis. treatment includes therapy and emotional intimacy #lucretia; traumatized: okay sweet thanks

[calamitousrpg]

I N T R O D U C I N G the SLAUGHTER RING S L A S H E R !

The 121st Annual SR Slasher Event is B A C K; a yearly spectacle that all of Calamity — even those without a bloodthirsty nature — sates morbid curiosity.

This year, our silent benefactor has supplied all the P R O V I S I O N S for the bloodiest event of the season — take your heart this year sweetness, who? The SR has always been famed for how everything goes in the ring; the graveyard that rivals the even The Boneyard in its death count; ashes to ashes and all that... lost lives decorating the sands...

As per every annual tradition, the eight divisions of the State; spread amongst the four sides are in friendlies about going to battle with their neighbours. A running joke of: a controlled war remains ever true. Those representatives of every district pitted head to head in the ring in an act to win and show strength has always been a notoriously looked forward to S P E C T A C L E.

S I G N  U P S are L I V E.

As is, the betting stations.

The North’s never been so lit with life – all riveting with excitement to gather and watch energy drain away into an abyss. The rules are the same as they’ve been for over a century; even before in the era of gladiators – not that many remember those bloody battles – hardly anything has changed.

Nominate four champions per faction; Darklands; Lupis; Dominion; Onyx Peak; The Forgotten; Myre Grove; Silver City; Hideout. Make them your best, or you’re going to look weak and defenceless. Lives will be lost; make sure they’re not yours.

There is no rules for how you go up against your opponent (they will be randomly assigned and called out on SRS day) but one side conceding is a victory, if they do not, then it’s to the death.

The last two standing in the finals; representing their faction will be hand-to-hand only and it will be bloody.

Last man standing will earn their rightful title as SRS Champion, 5,000K and for the first time ever – as donated by the quiet benefactor, a W I S H. Use it wisely.

Are your champions ready?

ADMIN NOTE: Ay, February’s sweet event has arrived and it is OPTIONAL for participation. You do not have to submit an entry to be a fighter in the SRS, nor do you have to have any of your characters attend. You can place bets with stations – each other, and if you really want to participate and your character isn’t orientated that way, permitting you get mun permission – you can IC enter each another’s characters. Who’s got grudges they want to work out now? 

Or you are welcome to spectate!

Whilst there is a select number of champion slots available, if there is a mass interest, we’ll enter a relatively equal amount of each side of the state where possible. The actual pairing will be randomised with a generator and a victor can be worked out amongst muns or you can ask us to generate that randomly to via dice rolls. It’s a bit of fun – and … minimal deaths… Nova swears. : )

Smooth sailing… and all that jazz… right? Nothing ever goes wrong with Nova at the reigns!

Below is the entry form to fill in IC to the main’s submit box if you want to participate as a fighter (if your character doesn’t hold any rank or affiliated district, you can enter as a soloist/independent but be aware you will not having the backing of any group fights.):

NAME: FORENAME SURNAME RING NAME: HOW YOU WILL BE INTRODUCED, I.E. THE SERPENT. REPRESENTING: DL, LUP, DOM, OP, TF, MG, SC, HIDE, INDEPENDENT. WEAPON OF CHOICE: PLEASE SELECT ONE: BLADE/SPEAR/CROSSBOW/AXE/SPECIFY OTHER TO BE APPROVED. IF TITLED, YOUR WISH WILL BE: SPECIFY FOR POSSIBLITY. SIGNED: FULL NAME, YOU ARE SIGNING TO POTENTIALLY BE ERADICATED IN THE SRS BY CHOICE.

As always, any Q’s hit us up, creatures! You have 72 HOURS to submit entrants, the pits will drop SUNDAY 14th FEBRUARY; who’s spreading bloody love tonight? 

#calamity.event #supernatural rp #oc rp #dark rp #mature rp #event: slaughter ring slasher #flashing lights tw #pastevent

[everqueen12]

i’m gonna raise hell

part one | part two | part three | part four | part five | part six | read on ao3

the final chapter including a proposal hell yeah

“There they are,” Lup says, with considerable satisfaction. “With a squad of Tom Bodetts, apparently.”

“Oh shit, again?”

“Yeah, wild, right? You wouldn’t think that would happen twice.”

“Lup!” Barry kicks out of the van as the Bodetts spill out. The real Tom Bodett, leading them, hefts an old-fashioned gun and lights the place up, carefully firing above the heads of the yelling scientists and government thugs.

But Kravitz is faster. He dives towards the twins in a swirl of blackness and feathers, narrowly stopping in time to avoid crashing into Garyl. “Taako!”

“Hi babe!” Taako says. He dissolves Garyl with an appreciative pat and jumps into Kravitz’s arms.

Kravitz is surprisingly warm as he clutches Taako against his chest, although the flesh that folds over his form again probably helps. “Are you alright?”

Taako answers that with a kiss, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. Around them, the workers of Area 51 are rallying, calling out orders and assembling themselves in some sort of order. Lup and Barry are already working on adding to the buffs on the Bodetts while the real Tom Bodett (or “Tom Bodett Prime”, as Lup immediately takes to calling him) lays down suppressing fire.

“Don’t scare me like that, love,” Kravitz murmurs, pressing his forehead against Taako’s.

“Wasn’t trying to, bones,” Taako says, but softly. “You look good in that t-shirt that I’m definitely going to steal.”

“Who is the man on yours?”

“Don’t know, super don’t care.”

“Watch out,” Kravitz says, tugging Taako down just as a tranquilizer dart flies through the space where his head just was.

“Thanks babe.”

And then the government thugs are on them all, the room full of chaos and Tom Bodetts yelling. The real Tom Bodett hollers “To me, to me!” and collects his brethren in one corner of the room, not far from the busted wall, while Lup and Barry proceed to destroy the rest of the “experiments”.

“Really, this is unethical on so many levels,” Barry says critically, blowing up a set of samples.

“They absolutely did not get consent for cells to be used like this,” Lup agrees, setting the remains on fire.

“I just wanted to kiss an alien!” a junior lab tech wails, running past them into the maze of halls.

“That’s my job,” Kravitz says, tripping him.

“On your six, bones,” Taako says, shooting a Fire Bolt into a cluster of SWAT team members.

“Thanks, babe,” Kravitz says, spinning and knocking away the scientist creeping up behind him with a syringe.

They’re separated after that by the flow of the fight, although Taako still wrecks a ring of security guards approaching Kravitz, a flash of sapphire materializing out of nowhere, while Kravitz lands a chunk of pink tourmaline onto a group of randomly brave scientists cornering Taako.

Kravitz, feeling his newly beating heart swell as he watches Taako shoot finger guns and laugh lazily as his foes flinch, makes the decision. He leaps into the air, swooping over the fight, and lands next to Taako.

“Hey again, Krav,” his boyfriend says.

“Hi, Taako. I, um, have a question for you.”

“Yeah? Shoot.” Taako punctuates that statement by firing off a casual Magic Missile into a security guard sneaking up on Lup.

“Well, it might not be the most opportune time, but,” Kravitz takes one knee, looking up at his boyfriend.

“Holy shit, Kravitz!”

“We’re in the middle of a firefight!” the real Tom Bodett yells.

“Ignore Tom Bodett Prime, hell yeah!” Lup screams, surrounding them with a ring of fire so they can have their moment.

“I had this whole speech,” Kravitz admits, looking up into the warm, shocked brown of Taako’s eyes, feeling his own begin to water. “But, uh, that’s kinda all out the window, I guess. It’s you, Taako. It’s always gonna be you. Will you marry me?”

“Kravitz, I…” Taako takes his hands away from his mouth, his glamour dropping. He grabs Kravitz and hauls him up, planting a huge kiss on his lips. The kiss goes on, both of them swaying back and forth, until even Lup hollers for them to get on with it already.

“Fuck off, Lulu, you and Barold took forty-seven years!” Taako yells back, finally breaking the kiss. “Oh, bones...”

“So,” Kravitz jokes weakly. “Is that a yes?”

“Is that a-- OF COURSE IT’S A YES! Yes, of course I’ll marry you!”

He throws his arms around Kravitz as Kravitz picks up his boyfriend -- no, his fiancé -- in his arms, spinning him around. Both of them are laughing. This temporarily ends the fight as foe and Boett alike stop to clap for them, many calling congratulations.

“I don’t have the ring with me,” Kravitz starts. “But--”

“We’ll worry about that when we get home,” Taako says, beaming. “Plane of Thought’s not so bad, huh babe?”

“I’d say so,” Kravitz says, kissing the back of Taako’s hand.

“Sap.”

“Your sap.”

“Forever, now.”

“Alright,” Barry says. He’s wiping tears away from his eyes, the soft-hearted man, and he waves one of his old bone wands, probably from cycle 53. They did fancy carvings on those ones. “Bodetts, let’s go!”

“To the van!” the real Tom Bodett yells, and the Bodetts scatter, weaving through the surprised guards and few remaining scientists. They pile in as Barry pushes the damaged van back with a wave of his wand, and the three Birds plus Kravitz make a run for it, Lup covering them with a Wall of Fire.

They all make it in and the imitation Tom Bodett who’s driving peels away, burning rubber as they fly through the previously broken front gate. He steps on it as the Area 51 grunts scramble to their vehicles, only to find the garage doors melted shut by a nat 20 Delayed Fireblast cast by both the twins.

They laugh and cheer all the way back to Vegas.

---

“What. The fuck?” Joaquin demands, taking them all in.

Marcus just stands next to him in shock, mouth wide.

All of them have their cheap meme t-shirts, now peppered with burn holes, rips, and smoke marks, still pulled over their Vegas finery. Barry has re-draped the “Just Married” rope of cup lids back over his and Lup’s shoulders, while Taako and Kravitz are even closer together than usual, hands entwined. They deposited the real Tom Bodett and all his imitators back at the convention, with many thanks and also significant amounts of gold, and waited outside the theater for Joaquin and Marcus.

All of them are grinning.

“Got kinda kidnapped a little bit, Joaquin,” Taako says with a shrug.

“By who?”

“Area 51 guys?” Barry says, raising his eyebrows as Joaquin’s eyes grow huge and Marcus bursts into mildly hysterical laughter.

“And you--”

“Fought our way out with the help of the Tom Bodetts.”

“Plus Tom Bodett Prime,” Lup adds.

“And now we came to pick you up to take you back home!”

“So, wait,” Joaquin says, tapping his fingers together, ignoring Marcus leaning on him and giggling helplessly. “You, three of the seven saviors of the multiverse, plus Taako’s boyfriend--”

“Fiancé,” Taako corrects.

“What? When did-- no, nevermind.”

“Congratulations,” Marcus offers before he loses out to giggles again.

“Thank you.”

“Three of the saviors of the multiverse plus Taako’s fiancé got kidnapped by the alien government dudes and you… fought your way out?”

“Yeah? It wasn’t like it was hard, homie.”

“No,” Joaquin says, blinking too quickly. “Of course not.”

“Don’t worry,” Barry says reassuringly as he preps the transport spell. “They don’t know you two were involved.”

“You sure about that? Is this why my phone was popping off in the middle of the last act?”

“Yeah, probably,” Taako drawls. “Oh, and Joaquin?”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s do this again sometime. Cha’boy had a real good time at Vegas.”

“I dunno, Taako,” Joaquin sighs, a smile creeping across his face as Marcus takes his hand. “I’m not sure if Vegas can handle you again.”

#the adventure zone #taz balance #taz fic #my writing #my posts #long post #taakitz #blupjeans #keep fuckin forgetting about this fic sorry but now it's fully posted! #god it's a fun one #thanks for coming along for the ride yall

[a-big-apple]

TAZ fic: Moving in Winter

For Day 1 of @twinsweek​, Favorite Twin! I love Lup like fire, but Taako is very deep in my soul.

To give myself an extra jumpstart, I used a randomly-chosen prompt from this meme: “Can we go someplace high so I can jump off it?”

On AO3

It was supposed to be a business trip. Some Taako™ brand interplanar licensing meetings, design approvals, one very limited public speaking engagement, and a few days tacked onto the end for expensive dinners and hot hotel sex with his boyfriend. Then Kravitz talked it up so much at work that Lup and Barry decided to come along, and Taako was pleased about that part, he doesn’t get to see them enough now that they’re reaping full time.

Of course Taako told Angus, because the kid is independent but he might not want to spend the last week of winter break in the house all alone, and Angus told Mavis because it might be a good time for a visit, and then suddenly Merle and Magnus were suspiciously free that very same week and calling to find out what hotel everyone is staying in and how to get rooms. When the venue Taako’s booked to speak in got wind of more Seven Birds coming to town, they immediately sent effusive formal invitations to all of them.

This is how Taako finds himself standing in a beautiful hotel lobby in the Plane of Thought, looking longingly off toward the bar as his entire riotous family cause a scene with their mere presence. When he catches Lucretia’s wistful glance in the same direction, he turns away and fluffs his enormous scarf up higher around his face, trying to radiate “untouchably famous celebrity” as hard as he possibly can. Usually a Scene is his sort of thing, but all the rapid changes to his plans have set him a little off-kilter; he’s grateful when Kravitz appears and takes his arm to lead him to the bay of elevators, keycard in hand.

“I think they’ve all gotten their rooms sorted out,” Kravitz assures as they ride up to their floor. It’s blessedly quiet in the elevator, and Taako finally lets his shoulders drop.

“As long as we have a lock and a Do Not Disturb sign with the rest of them are on the other side of it,” he replies, “I don’t care where they’re staying.”

Kravitz gives a soft hum in answer, like he’s got Taako all figured out. Maybe he does--but at least he knows better than to say so.

Their room is a suite on the classy side of opulent, with an enormous whirlpool bathtub and a decadent-looking bed. They both call to him, but the bed wins out; Taako sheds his outer layers all over the floor and crawls into the fluffy mass of pillows and blankets. It’s already night outside the windows though this city never seems to be really dark, and Taako watches the constellations of lights outside blink and change and move as Kravitz shuffles around the room unpacking their suitcases. Finally he passes close enough to the bed that Taako can snag his hand and tug, and Kravitz smiles and kisses his fingers. “All right, love.” He strips down to his shirt and underwear as Taako watches him from beneath the mound of covers, then climbs into the bed and tugs Taako into his arms.

He’s cold, but it’s soothing in the warm bed, familiar by now and safe. “You’ve got meetings all day tomorrow, haven’t you?” he murmurs, and Taako nods against his chest, curling closer. “I’ll keep the crew out of your hair, then. And maybe we can get room service for dinner, tonight? When you’re hungry.”

“You’re too fucking good,” Taako gripes, hiding his smile in the placket of Kravitz’s shirt. He bites one of the buttons, because he wants to be cranky, then lets it rest between his lips, because he’s tired and the texture is nice and Krav’s very lovely nipples are currently hidden. His Too Good boyfriend chuckles and kisses his hair.

“Punish me, then.”

“Mmm,” Taako replies. “Later.”

***

The week is busy, and he sees his family in tolerably small doses. He goes shopping with Lup and has dinner after with Kravitz and Barry. He soaks in the hotel sauna with Davenport while Merle and the kids play across the room in the pool. He caves to the deadly combination of Ango-and-Mango puppy dog eyes, and accompanies them to a museum. His planned talk becomes a Seven Birds panel interview, which is just fine--he can tune most of it out, and save the full-on charm for the autograph line.

He loves it most of the time, the fans, the fame, the glow of attention. It’s just...he’s drained, lately. It’s the cold weather, or the early dark, or the headache that’s been nagging at him. His battery is dangerously in the red by the time the last autograph has been signed, and there’s still an afterparty they need to show their faces at. He rests his face in his hands while Kravitz gets their things, sighs into them when his coat is draped over his shoulders. “Can we go someplace high so I can jump off it?”

“The party is on the top of a skyscraper,” Lucretia replies, deadpan. “But we’ve both got Featherfall, so.”

When he looks up, she’s already wrapped in an austere blue shawl coat, and is holding out Taako’s scarf expectantly. He takes it, starts putting himself together. “I guess we’ll just have to drink ourselves silly, instead.”

That gets a shadow of a smile out of her, and Taako’s not sure whether to be pleased or not. Then Lup appears between them, grinning and looping her arms through theirs. “Come on, let’s get this shindig on the road!”

***

Taako’s not sure how he wound up here. He remembers the party, the stomach-twisting view of the city and the long green swath of park through the center, putting his back to it and gulping down the first cocktail that hoves into view. He remembers a few more after that, and some good music and a little dancing, jolly hugs from Magnus and a quiet kiss from Kravitz. He remembers Lucretia, out of the corner of his eye, always with a wine glass in her hands.

But how did they get to this hole in the wall with a platter full of tacos between them?

“There was at least one bridge,” Lucretia says. She doesn’t slur--she never slurs--but he can tell by the glassiness of her eyes that she’s as drunk as he is.

“There’s a lot of fucking bridges around here,” Taako agrees, and shoves the end of a taco in his mouth. “Fuck, this is good. We found a good place. We have to bring Lup here.”

She nods in solemn agreement and lifts a taco, taps it against his like a toast. “Tomorrow. If we haven’t thrown up so much we never eat again.”

“Fuck you, I’m fine.”

She seems to consider this as she chews; then she reaches over and grabs the beer that was apparently in his hand, taking an indelicate swig. “Are you really fine?”

Is he? It’s hard to know, and fuck her for asking. He’s tired though, and the haze of alcohol makes it a little easier to see the young woman he thought he knew. “Most of the time,” he answers grudgingly, and it doesn’t taste like a lie. “What about you?”

“Most of the time,” she echoes, and passes back the beer. “I have a new baseline.”

“No fucking kidding, me too.”

It’s supposed to be mean, but instead it makes her laugh--actually laugh this time, a little shout and a flash of her teeth. How long has it been since he’s seen her laugh? It’s disorienting, the old Lucretia and the new Lucretia superimposed on each other, and his eyes hurt looking at her. He closes them instead, rests his head against his arm on the table. Tries to think back through the night, and hang on to where and when he is.

He must doze off, because he wakes to a warm hand on the back of his neck. “Come on, bud, time for bed. Krav’s waitin’ for ya.”

“Mmmyeah?” he replies with a half-awake grin, and hears Barry sigh. Then he’s hauled to his feet, his brother’s arm around his back. There’s talking around him, some in another language, some Lucretia, some Barry. Some Angus, and when Taako opens his eyes to squint in the kid’s direction, he’s fishing local currency out of Taako’s purse. Then there’s a rift, and some more hushed talking, and finally Kravitz, smelling like a bath bomb and considerately pre-warmed.

Taako floats more contentedly then, spinning a little, and lets Krav undress him and wipe the makeup from his face, lets himself be spooned in the heavenly soft bed. “This trip’s okay,” he tells Kravitz, because it’s important he knows--he’s the most okay part of it.

Kravitz kisses his ear, the sweet way and not the sexy way. “Merle found a place to go ice skating,” he says. “He’s going to take the kids tomorrow. Want to go?”

“Let’s all go,” Taako suggests, feeling benevolent. “Fucking...family ice skating.”

His boyfriend, the best boyfriend, huffs a laugh. “I’m going to remind you that you said that, in the morning.”

***

This is part of a loosely related series! If you want to read the rest, they are here on tumblr and here on AO3.

#twinsweek #fanfiction #the adventure zone #taz #taako #my fanfiction