#taako

[jerreeeeeee]

i don't think taako's voice is really all that high most of the time. it's higher than justin's normal voice a little, but idk, the defining quality of it isn't its pitch to me, there's something else that i don't really have the words for. but anyway i do notice that his voice gets lower and less exaggerated when he's being serious. which is interesting bc it sort of implies that the usual "taako voice" is something he puts on.

i don't really think of taako as a habitual performer. his charisma modifier is a -1, he's not this ultra smooth charming actor, and although he does tend to hide behind humor and is slow to build connections, he's also very frank with what he's about and what he wants. he goes on an entire tirade about wanting to talk about his feelings (he's multidimensional!), he never acts embarrassed or hesitant about big moments of vulnerability and caring for others (arms outstretched, "i'm not going fucking anywhere," admitting a deep fear to kravitz on their first date, spilling his tragic backstory to angus, not to mention several serious moments with lup) (and not all of these can be chalked up to "forgotten connections," either. he does have a foundation of growth with magnus and merle, even forgotten, and his conversations with lup are of course all with memories intact, but he does not have that with kravitz and angus). he's just slow to reveal all of his hidden depths, because of (understandable) trust issues. but all in all he's not nearly as closed off as i think fandom tends to portray him (which is not to say he's open, either), nor is he someone who wears a lot of masks and obscures himself. i don't think he hides his "true self."

sizzle it up was successful because of his intelligence, not his charisma. he's a natural teacher who's knowledgeable and passionate, and that was what made the show great, not his personality or performance (though i don't think those were bad. just not the primary appeal of the show. the only fan we see is ren, and she loved sizzle it up because it inspired her and taught her to cook, not because she thought taako was awesome or whatever). bc that's the thing, he's not a performer, but he is extremely adaptable. so when he's set up with a stagecoach and a show lined up, sure, he'll have a TV persona, he'll learn to be charming, he'll learn to be showy, when he's on stage. when he gets famous, he learns to like being famous, but i don't think it was really a dream of his before then. or at least not in the way people think of it. i don't think he ever wanted to be a celebrity as much as a celebrity chef or celebrity wizard. he doesn't care if people think he's pretty. he doesn't want people to adore him (before the voidfish, anyway. afterwards is a different story. there's a void where love used to be that he's desperate to fill, and adoration almost feels like it works). really what he wants is for people to appreciate his skill and intelligence and depth (and he's also very afraid of actually displaying those things. he's multidimensional).

but most of the time, when he's not literally performing for an audience, i just don't think he's putting on a show, desperate for people to like him and think he's charming. he'll do what he needs to do, say what he needs to say, be who he needs to be in any given circumstance, with strangers and antagonists, but he also drops the act when it's not necessary. or at least his performance is subtler. he performs stupidity, he performs nonchalance, he makes efforts to be funny (because he is always funny, but that's something you have to work for and always be thinking about, even when the humor is dry), he carefully does just enough to be useful, but not enough to raise expectations. he's very aware of how other people view him, but he's also perfectly okay with people thinking negatively about him—as long as they're the negative traits he wants people to see. but, he only does all those things in the beginning of the show; after a little while with magnus and merle, after a little while with the bob, he drops the act. so i guess that's the difference to me. he's adaptable out of necessity, it doesn't bleed into his entire life. i don't even really think i'd qualify it as a performance. it's more of an invisibility. he's not performing charisma to get people to like him, he's trying to lay low. but then when he actually wants people to like him, he's himself, fairly unapologetically. with the people who matter, lup, magnus and merle, kravitz, the other bob members, the other ipre crew, he's pretty comfortable with himself.

one last interesting point is that while he doesn’t seem to hesitate when it comes to actions, he does shy away from verbal displays of affection, trust, vulnerability. and the best two scenes to show that play out almost exactly the same: lup’s best day ever dinner, and dropping his disguise self with kravitz. in each, taako does something meaningful for both npcs, who then verbalize their affection for him, which taako immediately deflects with a joke.

taako drops his disguise spell for kravitz, totally honest with him, (although… i don’t tend to think the beauty sacrifice was as meaningful to taako as fandom tends to portray, i think most of his vanity is an exaggeration he intentionally cultivates, but still, it’s a vulnerable moment, he clearly cares what kravitz thinks), and kravitz tells him he loves him. to which taako replies with a joke. he does not return the words.

taako doesn’t hesitate to construct the best day ever for lup, never even questions why she’d ask. he puts it all together, cooks for her, shows her he knows her, he loves her—and then when she bears her heart to him, tells him he is her heart, all he says is, “i know,” and pulls out a bottle of vodka. of course lup knows he loves her, the whole day was an elaborate demonstration of it, but he doesn’t say anything. to be fair, it’s not exactly a typical interaction between them, taako is textually scared shitless, lup did just tell him she’s going to turn herself into an undead abomination, so he’s not exactly at his best here. but anyway.

i don’t really have anything to add to this observation, it’s just very consistent and interesting to me. taako is fairly comfortable with grand gestures, but sidesteps around words. which ties in perfectly with his identity as a chef, to me. cooking is an action, work, intention, cooking for people is an act of love, an act of connection, an act of caring, and taako’s character doesn’t fit the bill for that—except, he kinda really does.

#listened to the multidimensional scene bc i'm writing about mongooses. it made me think #also i'm learning so much about mongooses and also weather systems in south asia. not strictly necessary but interesting #mine #taako #taz taako #taz balance #the adventure zone #analysis #also his cha mod is -1 in gerblins its possible he put ASIs into it later on but it still wouldnt be very high #his int and dex are his high scores

[cookie-nom-nom]

I can keep going

#taz balance #balance #the adventure zone #dungeon meshi #dungeon meshi meme #taz meme #merle highchurch #senshi #Taako #chilchuck #Marcille #barry bluejeans #something to nom on #taz

[julcreates]

Taako! (From TV)

Every once in a while I’m in a TAZ phase again….

#taz balance #the adventure zone #the zone cast #taako #taz taako #taako taaco #taako the wizard #taz #taako from tv #taz fanart #fan art #my art #artists on tumblr #fanart #digital art #dnd #elf #my boyyyy #Julcreates

[lazylittledragon]

pov: they saw you from across the room and think your vibe is disgusting

#taz #taz balance #the adventure zone #taako #lup #i bet this gave some of you whiplash #i don’t have my old palette anymore so i had to guess #oh my god i think i was still a girl the last time i drew them #how the turn tables #edit: holy shit everyone’s still here 🥺🥺

[thirdchildart]

He's not a model, he's a wizard and a chef. (yea the hair thingies are different lengths I'm still thinking it over)

#Taako #taz taako #taz balance #Hey I'm peer pressuring all of you back into Taz #the adventure zone

[felicitywilds]

don't mind me, just thinking about how in every other graphic novel cover, the d20 is in the air, bouncing away from them, just out of reach, almost mocking them as it determines their fates. but for the suffering game, taako is on his knees, front and center, pinning it to the ground, umbra staff at the ready. has he got a fuckin' idea for you.

#taz #taz gn #the adventure zone #taz balance #taako #taz gn spoilers #by me #time to FUCKING saute my dudes #i think its fair now to tag this as #top

[lucretiaadventurezone]

TAZ Balance Dashboard Simulator

💪 bagnus-murnsides

↻ lactosewarrior5000 Follow

💪 bagnus-murnsides

happy rise and grind reclaimers wednesday monday

✨ you-know-from-tv Follow

its literally friday ?

🔥 lup-da-lup Follow

HAPPY RISE AND GRIND RECLAIMERS WEDNESDAY MONDAY FRIDAY

👖 lactosewarrior5000 Follow

#the additions are KILLING ME #laugh rule #tumblr days of the week #scheduled

(2,358 notes)

📔 sheesh-creesh

[REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED] [REDACTED]

#bureau business #inoculated #txt

(0 notes)

🔎 ango-mcdango

↻ you-know-from-tv Follow

🌱 merlehighchurch1

give me that username lup. stop impersonating me

🌱 merlehighchurch Follow

no

(893 notes)

🍵 potion-master-69

CALLOUT FOR GARFIELD THE DEALS WARLOCK

so im not trying to start anything, but it has to be said. garfield has been collecting blood from various people and using it for nefarious purposes, as well as just kind of being a dick.

receipts under the readmore vv

Keep Reading

#callout #gore tw #lilian don’t look

(41 notes)

🔎 ango-mcdango

↻ lesbian-orc-lover Follow

👁️ hungry-hungry-hunger-deactivated20170817 Follow

Life is meaningless and nothing matters. Everything sucks and we should all just give in. Submit to the Hunger.

🌱 merlehighchurch1

this is exactly what ligma was saying a few years ago

👁️ hungry-hungry-hunger-deactivated20170817 Follow

What is Ligma? Some minor god you think will save you when your plane is consumed?

🌱 merlehighchurch1

LIGMA BALLS OHHHHHHHH

✨ you-know-from-tv Follow

ohmygod you killed him

(53,007 notes)

🍑 juicy-wizard-official

↻ 7-bird-watcher Follow

🚀 cap-n-port Follow

A picture of the moon I took with my new camera! If you look really closely, you can see the B.O.B. on the left side.

🌱 merlehighchurch1

🚀 cap-n-port Follow

You can't do that here

(68,913 notes)

🌱 merlehighchurch1

↻ merlehighchurch Follow

🌱 merlehighchurch Follow

hey guys! it's me, merle hightower highchurch. just wanted to come on here and say that i'm a total loser and lup is the coolest bitch alive

🌱 merlehighchurch1

STOP

#this is elder abuse

(1,002 notes)

💀 reaper-kravitz-official

.

#my coworkers are driving me CRAZY rn #what do you mean it was 'just a little bit' of necromancy #WE ARE LITERALLY REAPERS LIKE HELLO #and now rq will be pissed at me. great #vent #do not rb

(2 notes)

🕸️ krav-dementia-raven-way

i fucked up i fucked up i fucked up i fu

#ohhhhh my god accidentally posted on the wrong blog #i didn't realize until BOTH of my coworkers had seen it fuck me #i am dating one of their brothers as well so #dreading our next work meeting and my date plans tonight

(1 note)

🌈 lucretiaadventurezone

i need to pick up taako by the scruff of his neck and shake him around

#this is my magnum opus #i spent hours on it and reached the image limit on desktop #long post #unreality #a sydney original #fake tumblr post #davenport #taz balance #the adventure zone #taako #lup #kravitz #barry bluejeans #merle highchurch #magnus burnsides #angus mcdonald

[tazanimated]

TAZ Animated is now LIVE!

This was a multi-animator project that spanned nearly 6 years from 2017 to 2023 with over 150 participants! The video covers an edited version of episode 4 of The Adventure Zone: Balance running about 34 minutes long.

Link to participant credits

#the adventure zone #the adventure zone balance #taz #taz balance #taako #magnus burnsides #merle highchurch #mcelroys #Youtube

[karekareo]

[video with music] another animation from a few years back ft. the TAZ Balance trio! (bgm: Wonderland - Round Three by Griffin McElroy)

#taz #taz balance #the adventure zone #animation #taako #magnus burnsides #merle highchurch #2d animation

[wizard-loving-wizard]

you can't comprehend how much this image means to me... my beautiful darling wizard. he is broken and dirty and grizzled and furious. he got crushed by a washing machine. his robe is ruined, his thighs are out. shit just got REAL. this has derailed my entire day

#the adventure zone #taz balance #taz #taako #taz taako #taz graphic novel #taz gn

[asparklethatisblue]

Taako and Lup, early years

#taako taaco #lup taaco #lup #taako #taz balance #taz #the adventure zone #my art

[sketch-cat]

Relistening to the adventure zone again… early tres horny boys is something that can be so personal

#the adventure zone #taz balance #taako #magnus burnsides #merle highchurch

[ask-taz]

The Adventure Zone: The Suffering Games will release July 16th, 2024

#taz #taz balance #the adventure zone #taz graphic novel #mcelroys #taako #taz gn #merle highchurch #magnus burnsides #taz suffering games

[lithiumseven]

#taako #taako taaco #taako from tv #magnus burnsides #incorrect quotes #the adventure zone #the adventure zone balance #taz #taz balance #taz b #tazb #taz:b #taz: b #taz: balance #the adventure zone: balance #tis i #taz gn #taz graphic novel #the adventure zone graphic novel #taagnus #thb #text posts #magnus burnsides the hammer #here there be gerblins

[tinseltastic]

For your consideration: Howl Taako

They're both prettyboy wizards with evasive tendencies and an arsenal of beauty spells. I mostly just wanted to draw him in the outfit <3

#the adventure zone #taz #taz balance #taako #taz taako #cate draws #every day tumblr nukes my image quality ;_; #studio ghibli

[jerreeeeeee]

#mine #taako #taz #the adventure zone #taz balance #taz taako #been a while huh