chaoticlootral | horny bois on the loose

Really? I just feel like. I need to punch something, you know? Newt didn't do it for me. I really want to fight something.

[Rubbing his temple.]

But...we can't kill him, huh?

I know, Mags.

[Just. Patting Magnus on the arm.]

And no. [Sighing.] Probably not. Kind of violates our whole attempted communication thing.

Yeah. Uh. Kinda seems like the easiest people to throw under the bus would be us. Ass or Newt. And both of them want to work with us. So. Might be kind of shitty to kill them.

[Giving him a sheepish look.]

What are we going to do?

Ass is gonna feel like we put a knife in his back, you know. [:(] What if--

[Scrubbing at his eyes for a second, pressing his hands into them like he has a headache, then sliding them up to his temples. He's also forgetting he's wearing real makeup instead of the convenient arcane kind that never smudges, until like the cheap stuff. Which does.]

If it starts going bad. What if we just blow the lid off this thing. Ask for volunteers. To take the fall.

Yeah. I don't, uh, like lying to people. Or tricking them. I want to just be honest with what we're doing.

[Putting an arm around his shoulders to give him a quick hug.]

I think we should talk to him. If he doesn't kill anybody. And...yeah. I'm worried what will happen, if we ask for volunteers. If no one steps up, and everyone just. Panic votes, like they did last week. And Akira or Undine get enough votes to go down.

I'm fine with lying to people, but, shit, my dude, we've all been lying to each other all game, and no one's any good at it and it's not working, so, fuck that noise.

[He's getting a little better at this random hug thing. So just making sort of a face, instead of just shoving him off.]

Well, uh, we're not letting Akira or Undine go down. Thought that was the whole point of our little show of faith thing.

Yeah.

[Seriously - ]

I'm not letting Akira or Undine go down. [He knows Taako will get him. He knows Taako probably already got him.] So we need to find a different solution.

[Oh, he gets it alright.]

You asked me not to let you do anything stupid, right? Still stands?

Still stands. But. I think it would be stupid to go back on promising to protect those kids.

[Actually a little irritated at that, Magnus? Getting a little snappy.]

I'm-- I'm not suggesting we fuckin' throw any kids under the bus, for fuck's sake.

I -- I didn't think you were!

[Defensive right back!]

I just mean. I'm not counting it as me doing something stupid, doing what I gotta do.

I just--

[Ugh, he doesn't wanna fight with Magnus. Despite proclaiming his high levels of chillosity earlier, he's. Not really all that chill. Fixing the ends of his hair instead of just getting more frustrated.]

I know what people think about me, and sure, that's fine, fuck, I'd rather no one be rollin' up on Taako's business, asking him to do shit and be a rock in a storm or whatever, but I'm not-- I don't know. I don't want to see kids die.

Taako. I don't think anything like that about you. I wouldn't trust you to tell me when I'm being too stupid if I thought that about you.

Magnus.

[Mockingly. Because he had something of an emotion there and has to be mean to someone to get rid of it.]

Anyway, whatever. I don't know what to do yet, I mean. There's a lot of shit in play. But while I get we're not above a little throwing ourselves under the wheels here, seems premature. We're a team that's got decent psychs and some insight. We're actually helping, I think. Doesn't make sense for us to kick it first.

Yeah. I agree. Uh. But the scientists help a lot, too. I think it'd be hard to figure out what's happening without them.

So. That’s why I’m saying, maybe, uh, Volunteers.

[That’s kinda dark! But they might not have a choice.]

Yeah. But I don't know how to say, uh, someone volunteer to die, but not us because we're helping too much.

Then I’ll do it.

[Plainly. He doesn’t seem all that torn up about it, though he is only talking about it and not actually doing it. Things might not be that simple.]

If someone in this party needs to hit Forsake, you know Taako’s your dude.

I think people are going to be angry with us. I think most of us are on board with saving the Reapers, but people are going to be angry that we're telling them what they have to do. And if we wind up helping the Reapers kill someone, they're definitely going to be angry with us.

[Leaning against Magnus’ shoulder. It’s not really a hug, not even probably all that comforting, but it’s about as close as Taako is going to get on his own.]

They can be pissed if they want, buncha temper tantrum babies, but we’re gonna drag ‘em back to life if we have to. Anyway, just tell them it was my idea. Taako’s the dude who won’t kick it voluntarily yet, got some shit to do, people to see. Don’t think people want to be angry with you, homie, and it’s not your hand on the button anyway. No offense, but we’ve died a lot already, and maybe us not throwing ourselves under the wheels for this week is the best idea. Don’t know about the next one. If we survive that long.

[Shruggin!!! He’s kind of blasé about it.]

Think . . . I don’t want to help kill. We’ll do the thing where we can help clean up, and distract during trials, and shit, I’ll draw a name out of a hat for someone to take a fall, but I don’t want to be the one picking who to kill. I, uh, don’t think I can.

Sure. You don't have to be.

[He gets that. Taako is soft in different ways than he is. He doesn't have Magnus' need to be liked, to be seen as kind, but he has a kind heart. Where Magnus struggles with accepting having to sit back while bad things happen, Taako struggles more than Magnus when he causes people to get hurt even if it's for a good reason. As for Magnus, he isn't really so concerned with waking someone up, telling them they're going to die, and driving in the knife. They're bringing everyone back, it has to happen, it doesn't matter. What he can't deal with is standing there telling someone else he won't make a sacrifice but they have to.]

I'm not thrilled with the idea either. If Akira needs help, and wakes us up for that part, I'll do it. And then you do the trial parts.

[Leaning his head against a Taako's right back.]

[Taako’s perfectly happy to be selfish - to let someone else take a dive while he still thinks they should stick around. It isn’t that he doesn’t care about these people. He used to be that way, that strangers to him are dust, are nothing, to not be carried around like an albatross of guilt, because he has a lot of things to feel guilty about already, so why should he add more? But he’s not un-selfaware enough that he doesn’t understand he’s changed a bit there. He cares a lot more than he’s ever admit outloud, honestly. Just making a noise of acknowledgement before he’s quiet for a bit, just sitting there. In case it’s the last time.]

Hey.

You thought about what cool one liner you’re gonna pop off if they execute us?

Yeah. Well, not a one liner. But I'm going to make Max do it, but the cause of death is going to be Noise dragons. I'm not going down stabbed by some trembling kid who doesn't want to be there. I'm fighting all the way to the end.

[He grins a little at that, being a huge weirdo who doesn't mind the idea of dying, but then he goes a little quieter.]

You can fight with me, if that's what you'd want. Or else, I'd offer you what I offered Caren, to make it quick, but I don't think I could.

[More than grinning a little, just fucking giggling like mad at Magnus’ cool dude death idea? What a fucking dork? Embarrassing.]

Well yeah, dingus, I’m gonna fight with you. What the fuck, you think I want to do the whole making a kid stab me while I utter self-serious warnings and rip my heart out for the drama of it all? Please. [To be honest, that does sound a little but like something Taako would enjoy.] Not gonna make you be the trembling kid who doesn’t want to be there, last thing I see is your big dumb face crying or whatever. Awful.

Edited 2018-04-13 17:00 (UTC)

[Grinning at him. He's Magnus 'Loves Death and Dying' Burnsides but to be honest - that sounds like fun. Facing down a monster with Taako and going down in a blaze of glory. But they've got a lot of things to accomplish, and there's still a lot he wants to see.]

Best execution ever. Too bad we're going to live.

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chaoticlootral - 2018-04-13 18:28 (UTC) - Expand