[She scratches at her brow, taking a deep breath. She manages to smear some sugar glaze on her forehead in the act of it.]
I don't know how much of it has to do with what we're doing. If you ask me, I think the world's just finally finishing what it started with the Erasure. These are ill omens.
[A pause as she ponders something.]
You know, that said, when I was visiting my home, before the sun went down for the last time, we weren't getting snow there at all. Maybe the mainland really is just cursed.
[She wants to say, in that case, "More power to Ordenna to take over," but... she's already a traitor, isn't she? Fucking Adaire.]
[He shrugs a bit, pushing down the giggle at food on her face.]
Sounds like you got somewhere to go if things go south. If, uh, that's your thing. Me, I always try and keep an escape route.
[Always ready to go off the grid! Always expecting things to go, uh, horribly wrong, which, when you're Taako, happens often.]
Y'know, I know it's, uh, the noble thing to do, try and save the world and everything, but if you're already to the point where nature's turning against you, might be time to bail.
Edited (dw that wasn't the icon I picked) 2017-05-30 00:10 (UTC)
Ugh. I'm a little too... [She makes a vague hand gesture.] involved at this point. Besides, I have to live in this shitty world, too. And for all they say the future is Ordennan...
[Is it bad form to express doubt in her land's right to rule? She is already a traitor. Maybe this is just her ties to the mainland coming back to haunt her yet again. Because, on second thought... she really has no reason to doubt Ordenna's might. They're uniquely equipped to eradicate the curse from the world, of course, and also...
Who knows, they might actually do something big like outlaw magic the world over. That would make things simpler, wouldn't it?]
I don't know what's right, really. Things happen and I look back and think I was wrong after all, time and again. Maybe I should let the mainland squabble over how to fight off Heat and Dark, and snowy summers, and falling stars, and the curses of Gods.
[She almost expects Adelaide to have something to say in her head about that, but she's as quiet as ever. Maybe the quiet is more telling.]
[Jeez, this is getting into some serious biz. It's making him think about the decisions he's going to have to make in the coming future; sure, there's no real 'leaving' the Bureau, but they're going to run out of relics eventually. Whatever's going on with the Red Robe that's stalking them is going to come to a point. There's... something, coming.
But he doesn't have to think about it now, so he won't. It's just that simple, and will continue to be, for as long as he can push it aside.]
I mean... if it's somethin' you care about, there's no shame in pushing for it. In for, uh, getting something that matters to you fixed. Or helping people you wanna help.
[There's something to be said for having a stake in things, even if it's just a few things. If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for everything.]
Just, y'know. Self care is having a way out of the impending apocalypse if there's nothin' else you can do.
[Yeah, that sounds reasonable enough. Hella just isn't sure what it is she cares about anymore, or even how she can reconcile the things she thinks she might care about with one another.
Whatever. If it's worth thinking about, it's worth thinking about tomorrow.]
I'm too fucking hungover for this. I think I ate way too many donuts.
[She's at a point now where she's just gonna resign herself to making a big mistake, correcting it, elevating it to a worse mistake, correcting it, ad nauseum until the whole of society collapses. She can always deal with repercussions when they come. She's probably never going to change and start doing the right things.
Maybe this is why Hadrian looks at her like that. Like his very own work in progress.]
[He almost lets out a small breath of relief, filling his mouth with another donut instead. Donuts and being drunk are so much easier to talk about, even if those thoughts hit... a little close to home.]
Now that's relatable.
[He raises his donut in a toast and then devours the whole thing. He should probably stop. He's gonna feel like shit all day.
God, but it would be so worth it.]
Can I take a box of these? It'll make me look really good with very little effort.
Hell yeah. Take as many as you want, I'm sure not gonna eat 'em all.
[She takes a box that's still full and presses it into his arms. She thinks about apologizing for bringing up her bullshit, but decides it goes best unsaid. She'd rather just pretend it didn't happen at all. Besides, he asked.]
Hell, take a sword or two, as well. I'm attached to mine. I could get into the business of collecting swords, but...
[She shrugs. You know. Starting a new hobby is a lot of time and money.]
[See, this is more the Taako experience, people giving him food and things for free. He'd push money but he's not stupid and he's pretty sure this girl could kill him with her bare fucking hands.]
How many swords do you have? That's such a fucking conversation segway, like, hey, here's some donuts for the company whatever, also here's a bunch of swords, just to have. For goodwill. Charity.
[Charity swords! To help children who've had hands cut off or whatever. Or dwarves who've had their whole arm lobbed off. Priorities.]
Well, I didn't wake up with just donuts. I've got three extra swords I know nothing about. Just woke up with this entire load of things that don't belong to me. Or they didn't, but now they do.
[She scoots aside a little bit to reveal, sure enough, a pile of swords. They range from rather cheap-looking to actually kind of nice.]
[He snorts, and it's ugly. He'll take some cool swords though. Add more to his decor. Wave more fancy swords in front of Magnus that he can't have. He could start a collection of swords he can't use because his strength score sucks and also he knows magic so what does he even need a sword for???]
Technically, I thiiiiiink I have a shortsword uh, somewhere. But who needs that when you've got magic? Except for, y'know, making yourself look super dangerous with pointy shit.
[He sort of affectionately pats his umbrella tucked by his waist, whatever that means. Gotta love those unconventional staves.]
[Whups, okay, suddenly he's thinking he pushed his luck too far, even if he doesn't quite know why. He scoots back just a little, which won't quite save him if she decides to pick up a sword but might get her to miss if she decides strangling him is the quicker option.]
Listen, uh, I'm not gonna cast anything on you or whatever, I literally just came here for the donuts. I am the polar opposite of a dude lookin' for a fight.
[Is he curious? Yes. Does he want to live way more than he wants to know what's going on here? Abso-fuckin-lutely. He doesn't need his staff to cast, and he's ready at a moment's notice if she makes a grab for him to Blink right out of this plane and start running.]
Oooookay then! Like I said, really invested in, uh, not throwin' blows here.
[He's still taking those donuts though but also getting the fuck out of here asap, scrambling to be Not Under This Table Anymore.]
Thanks for these! And, uh, the conversation, before you decided I was a heathen or whatever.
Yeah, thanks for not letting me in on the fact you fucking... turn shit to gold or whatever.
[She's done here. She'll let him out, and she'll let him live, but that's the end of it. She already regrets suffering Fantasmo's presence. She doesn't need another self-proclaimed wizard on her hands.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
I don't know how much of it has to do with what we're doing. If you ask me, I think the world's just finally finishing what it started with the Erasure. These are ill omens.
[A pause as she ponders something.]
You know, that said, when I was visiting my home, before the sun went down for the last time, we weren't getting snow there at all. Maybe the mainland really is just cursed.
[She wants to say, in that case, "More power to Ordenna to take over," but... she's already a traitor, isn't she? Fucking Adaire.]
no subject
Sounds like you got somewhere to go if things go south. If, uh, that's your thing. Me, I always try and keep an escape route.
[Always ready to go off the grid! Always expecting things to go, uh, horribly wrong, which, when you're Taako, happens often.]
Y'know, I know it's, uh, the noble thing to do, try and save the world and everything, but if you're already to the point where nature's turning against you, might be time to bail.
no subject
[Is it bad form to express doubt in her land's right to rule? She is already a traitor. Maybe this is just her ties to the mainland coming back to haunt her yet again. Because, on second thought... she really has no reason to doubt Ordenna's might. They're uniquely equipped to eradicate the curse from the world, of course, and also...
Who knows, they might actually do something big like outlaw magic the world over. That would make things simpler, wouldn't it?]
I don't know what's right, really. Things happen and I look back and think I was wrong after all, time and again. Maybe I should let the mainland squabble over how to fight off Heat and Dark, and snowy summers, and falling stars, and the curses of Gods.
[She almost expects Adelaide to have something to say in her head about that, but she's as quiet as ever. Maybe the quiet is more telling.]
Yeah. Maybe I should.
no subject
But he doesn't have to think about it now, so he won't. It's just that simple, and will continue to be, for as long as he can push it aside.]
I mean... if it's somethin' you care about, there's no shame in pushing for it. In for, uh, getting something that matters to you fixed. Or helping people you wanna help.
[There's something to be said for having a stake in things, even if it's just a few things. If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for everything.]
Just, y'know. Self care is having a way out of the impending apocalypse if there's nothin' else you can do.
no subject
Whatever. If it's worth thinking about, it's worth thinking about tomorrow.]
I'm too fucking hungover for this. I think I ate way too many donuts.
[She's at a point now where she's just gonna resign herself to making a big mistake, correcting it, elevating it to a worse mistake, correcting it, ad nauseum until the whole of society collapses. She can always deal with repercussions when they come. She's probably never going to change and start doing the right things.
Maybe this is why Hadrian looks at her like that. Like his very own work in progress.]
no subject
Now that's relatable.
[He raises his donut in a toast and then devours the whole thing. He should probably stop. He's gonna feel like shit all day.
God, but it would be so worth it.]
Can I take a box of these? It'll make me look really good with very little effort.
no subject
[She takes a box that's still full and presses it into his arms. She thinks about apologizing for bringing up her bullshit, but decides it goes best unsaid. She'd rather just pretend it didn't happen at all. Besides, he asked.]
Hell, take a sword or two, as well. I'm attached to mine. I could get into the business of collecting swords, but...
[She shrugs. You know. Starting a new hobby is a lot of time and money.]
no subject
How many swords do you have? That's such a fucking conversation segway, like, hey, here's some donuts for the company whatever, also here's a bunch of swords, just to have. For goodwill. Charity.
[Charity swords! To help children who've had hands cut off or whatever. Or dwarves who've had their whole arm lobbed off. Priorities.]
no subject
[She scoots aside a little bit to reveal, sure enough, a pile of swords. They range from rather cheap-looking to actually kind of nice.]
And I noticed you weren't armed.
no subject
Technically, I thiiiiiink I have a shortsword uh, somewhere. But who needs that when you've got magic? Except for, y'know, making yourself look super dangerous with pointy shit.
[He sort of affectionately pats his umbrella tucked by his waist, whatever that means. Gotta love those unconventional staves.]
no subject
Her smile drops, her eyes widen for a moment... only to narrow just as suddenly.]
Yeah. I guess you don't need a sword.
[She wipes her chin. But then she just fucking laughs.]
God. God! I'm such an idiot. If I'm already a traitor, why not make friends with a fucking mage while I'm at it!
no subject
Listen, uh, I'm not gonna cast anything on you or whatever, I literally just came here for the donuts. I am the polar opposite of a dude lookin' for a fight.
no subject
Yeah. Yeah. That's fine.
[She's not going to try to kill him. He doesn't even know what's wrong with himself. He's just a clueless mage. Maybe he's never met an Ordennan.
You know, if she did actually kill him... Maybe that could make a good case for heading back to Ordenna with her head held high.
She considers this at length, staring silently at him appraisingly.]
Mmmmmmmmm... Nah. I think you should take your donuts and go.
[He's just one magic idiot. She's suffered worse to live.]
no subject
Oooookay then! Like I said, really invested in, uh, not throwin' blows here.
[He's still taking those donuts though but also getting the fuck out of here asap, scrambling to be Not Under This Table Anymore.]
Thanks for these! And, uh, the conversation, before you decided I was a heathen or whatever.
no subject
[She's done here. She'll let him out, and she'll let him live, but that's the end of it. She already regrets suffering Fantasmo's presence. She doesn't need another self-proclaimed wizard on her hands.]
no subject
[He says it, and then just like... regrets it, instantly, because why does he have a fucking death wish.]
Aaaaanyway, see ya!
[And he just fuckin' bolts.]