#taz balance fluff

[into-the-clintoris]

Here's my gift for @lesbijkas for The Candlenights Zone 2022! Happy Candlenights, hope it has all the Lup and Lucretia fluff you could dream of.

Thanks @thecandlenightszone for organizing!

Description:

Written for the TAZ Candlenights exchange 2022!

Two scenes.

One: forgiveness.

Two: love.

Or:

Lup's love language is touch. Which sucks when you're a lich and your best friend is hurting.

Rating:

General Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

Gen

Fandom:

The Adventure Zone (Podcast)

Relationships:

Lup & Taako (The Adventure Zone)

The Director | Lucretia & Lup

IPRE Crew | Starblaster Crew & Lup

Characters:

Lup (The Adventure Zone)

Taako (The Adventure Zone)

The Director | Lucretia

Additional Tags:

Angst with a Happy Ending

Touch-Starved

Lich Lup (The Adventure Zone)

Post-Episode: e067-069 Story and Song Parts 1-3

Post-Canon

Candlenights

TAZ Candlenights Exchange

Fluff and Angst

Crew as Family

POV Lup (The Adventure Zone)

Campaign: Balance (The Adventure Zone)

Language: English

#toby talks #the candlenights zone 2022 #candlenights #taz #the adventure zone #taz fanfic #taz lup #taz lucretia #fluff #angst #angst with a happy ending #taz balance

[wheresernie]

Anyone got any writing prompts? I need to start writing again, even if it's bad

#whump or fluff or h/c or romance i don't care #fandoms I'll do are adventure time both regular and fionna and cake currently #and Taz balance bc I'm feeling sentimental #send me prompts headcanons disability and lgbt ideas idc i just need to write #im not great at smut tho but im ok with fucked up shitty beside that besides incest/twincest #edit: i should clarify by fucked ip shit i mean gore and horror and unhealthy relationships that arent glorified

[nanu-hammies]

I’m not even gonna ask for a drumroll this time. I shall present this to you

https://archiveofourown.org/works/38799924/chapters/97498074

We are getting so close to the end of this work but I will keep working on various other works. Maybe some Dungeons and Daddies, if y’all would be interested? 👀

Sound off in reposts which fandom y’all would like to see me tackle. I’m open for any new ones.

#age regression #ao3 #ao3fic #the adventure zone #taz: balance #tiny taako #caregiver Merle #Magnus is just trying his best #finally added a bit of fluff #only a tiny bit though #don’t want to spoil y’all #I had to add angst #it’s my specialty #Guarenteed to make you cry or your kudos back #it’s not really that sad unless you know all the HC’s I have #but it’s still good #I swear #I’m tired but never too tired to update my fic

[anistarrose]

taz balance one-shot recs!

I've been meaning to make this post for a while now, so here we are! The majority of these are from the past three years or so, because I love a fandom classic as much as anyone, but I particularly want to shine a light on some gems from after the peak of traffic in the fandom tags! There are of course also exceptions that are older, though.

Also, April 19th-21st are Just Leave a Comment Fest, so please show these authors some love!! They're all so deserving!

a recipe for home by @journalofimprobablethings: Taako tries to cook for the first time since Glamour Springs. When things go awry, Lucretia is there to lend a hand.

Gen (Taako & Lucretia), 3.5k. Early B.O.B. era hurt/comfort centered around cooking, with a delicious dollop of sentimentality and dramatic irony on top.

Seven Times Magnus Burnsides Gave Someone A Hug + One Time He Received One by @barry-j-blupjeans: Magnus wasn't really any good at— at words. He was more of an action man. Or, y'know, a "I'll take this hit so you don't have to" man. Talking to someone about their feelings was all kinds of weird, so usually he just left the space for someone else to talk. And, well... Magnus wasn't good at words. But there's a few different ways to get his support across.

Mostly gen with some Magnulia, 8.6k. You've all heard of the classic 5 Plus 1, but obviously Magnus deserves a 7 Plus 1! I don't know how to describe it without spoilers other than being full of incredibly sweet, gentle takes on so many fraught or bittersweet moments. Super underrated, do give it a read.

Embrace the Dark by @ceilingfan5: Bookstore coworkers Kravitz and Taako get more than they bargained for when Taako tries to use his powers to fix Kravitz's migraine. But it's okay--it's an excuse for them to spend time together until one of them can nut up and ask the other out.

Taakitz, 8.9k. Modern with Superpowers AU! Super sweet interactions between Kravitz and Taako, paired with lots of fun background worldbuilding. And, of course, a very special grilled cheese sandwich.

Break This Heavy Chain by Punka_Writes: In the immediate aftermath of Story and Song, Barry Bluejeans could really use a hug.

Blupjeans and misc. platonic interactions, 2.3k. The absolute epitome of comfort food in written form, with excellent Barry characterization (and of course, he does get that hug)!

birds of a feather steal sweaters together by @holdmecloser-gandydancer: When you're a big, burly guy it seems that your clothes just become free reign for all your friends. Normally Magnus is a reasonable guy, but everyone has their limits.

Gen (IPRE crew), 1.9k. Starblaster era fluff! Everyone is written absolutely delightfully, and every time I read it I snort out loud at least twice.

Security by @ceilingfan5: Barry has finally made it--his incredible scientific discovery has landed him a huge fortune...and a lot of problems. The only good thing that's come of it, honestly, has been his bodyguard, Lup. (And the science. That's good also.) He's just gotta stay normal about how nice it is to have someone like Lup around, and also not perish by way of press circuit, and everything will be fine.

Blupjeans, 6k. Modern with magic AU from Barry's POV, featuring equal parts anxiety and pining. Also, it's straight-up extremely funny.

Lonesome Dreams by @jerreeeeeee: Taako wakes up one morning from a nightmare, fast fading. There was a guy in glasses, and they were… somewhere high up? Something terrible happened, but he doesn’t remember. He wakes up in a wagon he’s never seen before, but it has his name on it. There’s tons of food inside, more than he’d be able to afford. And he’s alone. Thinking back to the last thing he remembers is difficult. College? No, he’d graduated. Top of his class, obviously, he remembers that. But what- what happened after? Where is Lup?

Gen (Taako & Lup), 10.2k. Everything starts out the same, except Taako remembers Lup, even if not how she went missing, and it's incredibly underrated and full of phenomenal characterization. I won't spoil how things shake out, but it's a great emotional ride and I genuinely reread it all the time.

it's my party and I'll mope if I want to by @holdmecloser-gandydancer: Taako's birthday is just another Thursday. A detective and an old friend have a different idea.

Gen (Taako & Lucretia & Angus), 2.1k. Short and so sweet! Fics about voidfished!Taako's birthday never get old, and this is one of my absolute favorites. Nailing the angst-to-wholesome ratio.

Tedious Familiarity by @barry-j-blupjeans: Déjà vu. Noun. A feeling of having already experienced the present situation. A tedious familiarity. Barry Bluejeans woke up in a cave, fresh out of a pod filled with green goop, and saddled with an unsettling feeling that he had been here before. If you had asked forty-year-old Barry if he would follow instructions left by a talking coin, he probably would have asked you what type of drugs you were on. But, y’know, fifty… two? Fifty-one? How old was he? Fifty-two sounded right. But, y’know, fifty-two years old Barry didn’t really have that many other places to turn, so this couldn't be all that bad.

Gen, 4.1k. Missing scenes based off Barry's decade alone, written in such an effective style, where all the little details truly make it. Mandatory reading for fellow Barry angst enjoyers.

Angus McDonald and the Wonderland Escape Rooms by coppersunshine: When Angus gets grounded from detecting, to keep his skills sharp he becomes a patron of the Wonderland Escape rooms, run by Edward and Lydia, who quickly decide he's their new nemesis. To their surprise, Angus and the collection of weird adults he's accompanied by decide otherwise.

Gen (Angus & Edward & Lydia), 7k. Modern with magic AU, putting Edward and Lydia in the absolute funniest possible job, at which a little boy detective torments... and maybe, even gives them a chance to turn over a new leaf. I am of the opinion that Angus and the Wonderland twins have a criminally underexplored dynamic, and this fic gave me everything I wanted.

If the Sun and Moon Should Doubt by Punka_Writes: Merle Highchurch, on the brink of a bad decision.

Gen, 1.6k. Merle character study immediately before running out on his marriage. Truly the incredible characterization that Merle deserves; this was a fic that really ignited my love for him.

Greensleeves by @sgrumby: Kravitz has never seen a lich like this before, and he's seen a lot of liches. Merle is just trying to save the universe, thanks very much.

Gen (Kravitz & Merle), 2.2k. A unique and also absolutely genius Lich!Merle AU where Kravitz inevitably comes after him, and Merle is... well, the Peacemaker, of course!

#taz #taz balance #taz balance spoilers #fic rec #long post

[roach-works]

Hi, i once saw you wrote a small taz balance fic on your old blog. Is that actually how you make lavender tea, or did you make that up? Drop ur lavender tea recipe i beg of you

i hate to crush your dreams but lavender is inedible to me. so i just looked up a few recipes online, way back when googling actually worked, and went with that. what i wrote down in the fanfic is probably your best bet for doing it yourself! i searched again just now and even duckduckgo is just vending me useless ads and fluff articles.

#it tastes like grandmas #sorry my dude

[yourbelgianthings]

taz november celebration fic four: prompt bakery au

sorry this is a day late but i'm also kind of not because of how long it is it evens out, i went with modern taakitz (feat. some other balance peeps) and may or may not have gotten a bit carried away, but i hope y'all enjoy the fluff! ~3.8k words @taznovembercelebration (in fact it's so long i will have to post in multiple parts oops)

Before the sun had even begun to dawn in the sky, Taako was starting all the different doughs and batters for the day and preheating the large double oven. He loved working in the early morning quiet and solitude, every measurement memorized and every movement second nature. His bakery was called Sweeten It Up with Taako, and it had become a popular fixture in the city. In the beginning, he just made things for his friends, then had a stand at the farmer's market, and finally saved enough to buy a brick and mortar shop. On either side was a dog training school and a combination plant/metaphysical/book store. A big buff guy with reddish hair and a beard named Magnus who was a bit younger than Taako ran the dog store, and a short, older white-haired gentleman with medium brown skin named Merle was the proprietor of…whatever the deal at his store was. Taako himself was tall and slim with long platinum blonde hair and sandy brown skin, he always thought the three of them must look straight out of a goofy buddy comedy on the days they took their lunch breaks together. They were pretty funny, and he didn't mind the company sometimes, but he was there to work and hone his craft, not make friends.

That morning, like every other, Taako made sure the display case was set up perfectly before flipping over the open sign. Croissants, muffins, éclairs, lemon bars, his signature elderflower macarons, and every other enticing treat imaginable were arranged in layers on cake stands and in trays. "Once again, perfect," he said to himself with a smile, now open for a day of business. The first customer to arrive, opening the door with a little jingle of the bell, was Lucretia, the curator of the city's art museum. She had dark skin, and her gray natural hair was cut very short. Even wearing just the museum uniform polo shirt, nametag, and khakis, she exuded a sense of elegance and grace. "Morning, Lucretia!" Taako greeted her cheerily. "Let me go grab your order, one sec," and he was gone before she could reply. She gasped when she saw the box of cutout cookies frosted to look like watercolor paintings. "Taako, these are gorgeous! I don't know if you can make it to the opening we're serving these at, but there's a ticket for the exhibit with your name on it at the front desk whenever you're free." Taako and Lucretia weren't necessarily close personal friends, but they talked a lot about art whenever they got the chance, and that can tell you a lot about someone. They thanked each other and he promised to be over soon. After Lucretia left, the rest of the morning passed normally, with a steady stream of business people, parents and children, and retired folks.

Around noon, though, a customer he had never seen before caught his eye as soon as he entered. He was a little shorter than Taako, dark-skinned with cool undertones, his locs up in a ponytail and wearing a long black coat. Taako was stunned, but he quickly blinked and snapped out of it. "What brings you in today?" he asked. "This is a bakery, yeah? Presumably I'm buying some of your baked goods," the stranger replied, with a twinkle in his eye. "Yes, yep, it definitely is!" Taako was not used to feeling flustered, let alone at work, where he was at charge and could do what he was best at. All of a sudden, it seemed much warmer, and he quickly freed his hair from the braid down his back and swept it up into a bun with a purple scrunchie. The stranger asked which muffin was best, paid in cash (and tipped!), and left, but waved as he turned to go at the door. Taako waved back dumbfoundedly, kicking himself for not having thought of anything witty to say as he watched the door close. What on earth was that, anyway? He saw plenty of hot guys every day, there was no reason to waste time thinking that this might be anything different. Still, his mind kept wandering back to the stranger the rest of the day.

After he locked up, he called Lup, and she picked up right away. "Hey, Taako! Are you off?" "Yep, just heading out. Your place or mine tonight? I will have you know I don't feel like cooking, so don't let that influence you." Lup laughed. "No worries, carryout is fine, but we're redoing the bathroom, so yours is probably better." "Got it, see you at 7." click Taako didn't want to cook?! There's another point for the list of reasons she'd been worrying about him lately. She sighed as she headed to her car from the studio, brushing dust and bits of dried clay from her hands and clothes as she went. Lup looked a lot like Taako, except her hair wasn't as long, and she dyed it starting at the top of her ears red, and then orange halfway down. She often wore it in two Dutch braids so it was neatly out of her face while she was working.

Taako was secretly disappointed he was hosting. He always felt bad that his apartment didn't live up to Barry and Lup's cozy little house that actually felt like a home. His apartment was just where he crashed when he wasn't at work, the only room with any effort actually put into it was the kitchen. Even though it had been a while now, it was still hard to get used to the idea that he wasn't going to have to leave soon. He loved that he and Lup and Barry regularly spent time together though, so it was worth it to have them over.

"Barry?" Lup called as soon as she walked in the front door. "One second, honey, let me just get off the ladder!" A pale chubby man with light brown hair and a beard wearing glasses and paint stained jeans and a tshirt emerged with his arms outstretched for a hug. As they embraced, Lup exclaimed, "You didn't need to work on the bathroom after school, care bear!" "I don't mind. Really anything quiet after the day I had with those middle schoolers is fine by me, and of course, they still don't even understand the weather cycle!" They laughed and headed to their room to get changed for Taako's. Barry pressed the buzzer in the lobby, the speaker crackled and then projected Taako's voice: "Welcome to Chez Taako, darlings, let yourselves in." His apartment was on the third floor so Barry and Lup took the stairs, opening the door to see Taako flopped on an armchair reading a book. He put iit down as soon as he heard the door and ran over to hug them.

"Ooh, whatcha reading?" asked Barry. "Some book Merle gave me, I don't really get what it's about. Most of the stuff at his shop is weird, but all the plants are somehow always in perfect condition." "That reminds me," said Lup, "I was going to ask if you wanted to invite Magnus and Merle to hang out with us sometime. They seem pretty cool, and we have more spots open in our video game tournaments." Taako bristled and glared at her. "Fuck no!" he snapped. "They're two guys that happen to work next to me that I eat lunch with sometimes. Hardly the same category as my sister and my brother in law, don't you think?" "Jesus, Taako, you could just say you don't want to, calm down." He collapsed onto the armchair again. "I'm sorry, Lulu. I guess I'm just a bit on edge."

Lup went to sit criss cross on the floor next to the chair, and Barry sat on the futon. "Why, what's up, bud?" she asked gently. "Why not?" He gave her a tired smile. "Shit, I was supposed to order food for us already, wasn't I? Sorry, guys." Barry stood up and grabbed his phone. "No worries, Taako," he reassured. "We all have those days, I'll do it. How's Chinese?" The twins nodded gratefully, as much as the three of them were a family and Barry and Lup were a couple, Barry was good at reading when they needed their own moments as well. "Hairbrush, Taako?" "Should be on the dresser."

Returning with it, Lup scooted Taako off the chair onto the floor right in front of it, and she sat in the chair, putting her legs around him. She silently began to brush his hair, and when it was perfectly soft and smooth, she braided it too. They had done this a million times, it almost always worked to help Taako relax. When Lup needed the same, her and Taako sat across from each other on the floor and held each other's hands, and he instinctively knew how much pressure he needed to squeeze with. But Lup was helping him right now, so he got up, still without a word, and sat on her lap. They held each other until Barry said the food was good to go and asked if they wanted to play Mario Kart. The rest of the evening passed like it always did: easy, comfortable, and filled with laughter. The next day at the bakery, the stranger returned, and did so for the rest of the week. He and Taako chatted every time; Taako learned that his name was Kravitz and he worked at some kind of therapy place nearby. On Friday, he slipped a business card in the paper bag, but it had his own phone number written on the back.

"Have a good weekend, Kravitz! Hopefully I'll see you again!" he called as his new favorite customer opened the door to leave. Kravitz smiled. "You too, Taako. I'm sure you will." As soon as he left, Taako ran into the freezer and screamed. "I'm sure you will"?! What did that mean? Was it good? He thought so, but he wasn't quite sure, and now he had all weekend to worry about it. Or not, honestly, this was ridiculous. He wasn't a middle schooler with a silly crush, he was just providing good service at his job and a new regular said he would be back, that was all it was. Definitely just that for sure. He took a deep breath, realized he was still in the freezer, and quickly left it to warm up and continue his day. When the bakery closed, Taako texted Lucretia: exhibit tonight? always more fun when you can show me around <3 We already have an event booked tonight :( Tomorrow at noon? sure thing, thx lucretia!

Well, that was something for tomorrow, but he was left with no plans for tonight. He thought back to what Lup said, maybe it would be a good idea to hang out with Magnus and Merle more. It wasn't like he had to tell them his life story, but the amount of time he spent alone probably wasn't great, as much as he liked to try and convince himself otherwise. Did he even have their numbers? That could be a goal for next week Taako, and apparently tonight Taako was going to get drunk alone. A classic Friday night activity. He just needed to get home and make it to tomorrow. You'd be surprised how hard that could be. However, to his surprise, after his first glass of wine, he got a text from an unknown number. It read: Do I have Taako? This is Kravitz "Holy shit, that actually worked," he thought. yep it's me ✨ You know you could have just asked for my number i figured a little surprise would be more fun! Taako couldn't believe this was happening, he pushed the bottle of wine aside and laid down on the futon. He definitely did not want to end up drunk texting right now. His instinct was to tell Lup right away, but he decided to wait and see where things went. You're right, I think you're very interesting, Taako um thanks?? Yes, it's a compliment, I don't get to choose who I talk to all day at my job, so I'm quite selective outside of it huh well that's something in common i don't talk to a lot of people either but idk if we're coming from the same place on that one…anyway what's your job like, what happens at a therapy place? Well, I'm actually specialized in grief counseling, so I help people through a lot of heavy stuff dude how do you deal with that i could never You just have to be able to leave work at work, it was hard at the beginning but I've had a lot of practice impressive that makes sense though you seem like a good listener hey i need to go make dinner ttyl? Yes, I'll be here, this was nice

Success!! Texting wasn't the same as real life interaction, but this was a good start for sure. Taako suddenly felt full of energy, he practically skipped around the kitchen getting everything out for beef stroganoff. In his apartment, several blocks away, Kravitz was in a similarly good mood. His roommate, Lucas, saw him looking down at his phone and smiling and asked, "Talking to someone, are we?" with a knowing smile. "None of your business," he retorted, and jokingly stuck his tongue out at him. Taako's text reminded him that he hadn't eaten yet either, but he honestly hadn't even been thinking of that. All day, as soon as he had seen the card left in his bag, he had just been waiting to be able to get home and send that first message. He was rarely so distracted, especially with his line of work, but there was just something about Taako that stuck in his mind and stayed there. His reverie was interrupted by Lucas's voice from the kitchen: "I made stuff for tacos, but if you don't get in here, there won't be any left!"

The next morning, Taako woke up excited to go see the exhibit with Lucretia. He had actually forgotten what it was even of, but that would just get to be a surprise! Once he had selected his museum outfit (a pastel pink fuzzy sweater with a long swishy pleated skirt in an eggplant color with heeled boots and several gold necklaces) and gotten dressed, he sent a picture to Lup, as they often did with their fashion choices. lulu, fit check! ooh love it 🤩 you're up early for your day off though what's up? museum with lucretia yay that's great! have fun tell her i said hi :3 "Taako, you look gorgeous!" exclaimed Lucretia when he arrived at the front desk. "And perfect timing, things aren't too busy yet. Let's go!" They strolled through the Georgia O'Keeffe exhibition, marveling at bones, flowers, and desert landscapes, all painted in bright colors and blue strokes. "Which one is your favorite, Lucretia?" "I like the bone paintings the best, I know the flowers are her most popular works, but I love how she also found beauty in the morbid and unconventional. Most people would consider an old bone too boring to even give it a chance as their subject. What about you?" Taako paused to think.

"Probably The Sky Above The Clouds. The different perspective is oddly peaceful." Lucretia nodded. "So much of her work has a sense of solitude, but not loneliness," she observed, and he knew what she meant, but not what the feeling was actually like. When they reached the end of the gallery, Lucretia had to go give a talk, but Taako had nothing else planned, so he wandered to the sculpture garden and sat at one of the small tables. He absentmindedly pulled out his phone to check his messages, and then decided to text Kravitz. hey handsome are you free at all today? Ten or fifteen minutes later, a reply came. Oh, handsome? Thank you very much, and I'm going to a concert later tonight if you want to come? yeah i'm down! who is it? My friend Johann's band, they're called Voidfish and he's the violinist oh, i've never heard of them but that sounds cool Kravitz sent him a location and time to meet, and he figured this was probably enough to tell Lup about now.

luuuppp guess whatttt what taako? i think i'm going on a date? i'm not sure if it's a date but this guy i've been talking to invited me to a concert tonight! omg! you didn't even tell me you were interested in someone, rude, but i'm so happy for you 🩷 hey now! i was waiting to see where it went and it still might not be anything that's true, but taako, you deserve to have fun with someone you like, it's been a long time, so try to just stay in the moment and take it as it comes, okay? what are you lulu, our mom? oh wait lmao haha very funny, seriously though i'll try, love you love you Not sure what to do with the rest of his time before meeting for the concert, Taako took the long way back to his apartment, enjoying the feel of the air and taking in his surroundings in a way he never really had before. When he got back, he decided to take a nap so he would be ready for the potential late night out.

At his apartment, Kravitz was also carefully selecting his outfit for the evening. He wore the same thing to work every day: black pants, a white button down, and a red tie, so he never had to worry about it getting ready in the mornings, but this was a weekend and a special occasion at that. He settled on a band shirt Johann had given him at the last concert and his dark blue denim jacket covered in a large collection of raven patches and pins. The dark and eerie birds had always fascinated him. Sitting on his bed, Kravitz took a deep breath. Normally, he wouldn't make plans like this so spontaneously, but there was something about Taako that oddly put him more at ease. It was certainly a new and strange feeling, but not an unwelcome one. He quickly texted Lucas saying that he would probably be out late, and headed for Bumbershoots to meet Taako. Since Kravitz lived closer, he arrived first, but he only had to wait about five minutes for his companion.

"Hey, Kravitz!" Taako called. "You look stunning!" "I could say the same for you," Kravitz replied as he took Taako's hand and they entered the bar together. Voidfish played a great show, and Johann was amazing on the violin, but the baker and the therapist spent most of the evening simply focused on each other. They sat at a table in the back drinking cocktails (old fashioned for Kravitz, blackberry bramble for Taako) and talking for the whole show. Kravitz told Taako the names of the different songs as they were played, and Taako critiqued the band's outfits like he was a famous fashion designer, which made Kravitz laugh more than he had in a while. When the show ended, they paused outside the building, unsure what to say and neither one wanting to leave. Taako looked at Kravitz and asked, "Was this a date?" "I think so," Kravitz smiled as he replied. They both started laughing and pulled each other into a hug. As he continued to visit Taako at the bakery, Kravitz started to find extra items in his bag, usually new recipes being tested out. No matter how wild something sounded, it always ended up being delicious. He recommended Sweeten It Up with Taako to all his clients and Coworkers. One Friday afternoon, he got an unusual text from Taako.

hey krav, do you want to come over? my place is nothing much, so don't get your hopes up, but i'd love to have you It would be my pleasure, Taako, and don't worry about any of it okay? Taako sighed with relief. He still hadn't had anyone but Barry and Lup over to this apartment, but this could be the chance to make what he really wanted of it. Some of the decorations from his last place were still in a box, and he decided to get them back out; stringing the fairy lights up around the living room, hanging the pride flag on the wall, and putting the vase of fake flowers on the coffee table. It almost looked like someone lived here now, and like someone else would want to visit. He smiled and went to the kitchen to start getting dinner ready. When Kravitz arrived, he brought a fancy bottle of champagne with him, which he offered to Taako upon opening the door. "Kravitz! You didn't have to do that! This stuff is really nice too, oh my gosh…but since we have it, I think it'll go perfect with dinner. Since I forgot to ask what you wanted, I hope pizza is good." "That's excellent, yes." They had a delicious meal of Taako's signature homemade pizza, including dough made by hand (of course) and fresh mozzarella cheese, and glasses of sweet, refreshing champagne. Afterwards, they watched some terrible movie that was on TV, cuddling and making fun of it the entire time. As the credits finally rolled and Taako reached for the remote, Kravitz stopped him, taking both of his hands and staring into his warm brown eyes. "Can I kiss you?" he asked in a low voice, serious and sincere. "Yeah," Taako whispered without hesitation, surprising himself. The kiss was perfect, tender yet intense, warm and hungry. It wasn't just one either, they pulled away, smiled at each other and agreed with just their eyes, and then they were making out the best either of them had ever experienced. Being in one another's arms and pressed into each other's bodies was such a comfort that it more than made up for the old futon they were on. For a moment, there were no clients or macarons or roommates or sisters or anything else in the world but Kravitz and Taako and their hearts and bodies. Finally, Taako rested his head on Kravitz's shoulder, lazily looking up in his direction. "So, are you my boyfriend now or what?" Kravitz just smiled and pulled him in for another kiss, and they both understood that meaning perfectly.

#message from mirph #the adventure zone #taz november celebration #mirph's manuscripts #taz fanfic #fanfic #ship fanfic #canon mlm #mlm ship #taakitz #taako taaco #taz kravitz #lup taaco #barry bluejeans #taz lucretia

[photosyntheticspace]

Some days I love fluff and all the cute things. I love being able to write characters getting love and affection and quiet mornings with warm tea

Other days I re-listen to taz balance and a voice like the grinning cheshire cat whispers "Just how guilty do you think Lucretia felt when she heard of Magnus' death? Do you think it didn't settle in for a while? Do you think her first thought was 'it's ok, he'll be back next cycle' only to realize there wasn't going to be a next cycle? How guilty was she--now his judge, jury, and executioner--who sent her friend, her brother, to his death?" and suddenly I want to write angst that will make people cry again

#taz balance #taz #the adventure zone #angst go brrr #Sometimes I just want to see how many emotions I can make people feel #sometimes that's squealing into a pillow because something is so cute #other times it's a deep sadness because I made something tragic

[petraforgedyke]

pay the toll [taz: balance Taako/Kravitz]

Usually, Kravitz is punctual . It’d be kind of a bad look if the (one of them, technically speaking) Grim Reaper were to show up late for work. It’s just not really done. Death waits for no one, so it’d be kind of rude of Death to keep people waiting.

G, domestic fluff ficlet

#taakitz #taz #taz balance #kravitz #taako taaco #taako x kravitz

[ginger-snap-talkin-nonsense]

🔥 taz amnesty

It’s pretty good. Not as good as Balance but unlike balance it’s contending with one singular narrative with multiple facets as opposed to 7 distinct arcs all interconnecting. It’s the difference between a movie and a tv series, one has a lot more wiggle room for fluff.

It’s a little padded here and there and you can feel more fun elements of Balance being pulled away because the McElroys are more focused on playing a game of 5E by the official rules presented then they are with making a cool story. That’s not a negative it allows for it’s own really cool moments like Ned Chicane’s death absolutely knocking you over, but it means you get less cool moments where Travis totally did get a nat 20 no really guys now listen to how he pulls a clutch move in Petals to the Metal.

The water park fight though? Coolest shit hands down Amnesty is entirely worth the listen for it and Ned’s final goodbye alone and I’m just scratching the surface of all the cool characters and settings and plot threads.

[journalofimprobablethings]

Writing Masterpost

Hello!

I've finally gotten around to doing some blog maintenance and making a masterpost of all of the writing I've posted on here. If you've found my blog because of a fic post and want to know if there is more where that came from, you're in the right place!

I write mainly fic for The Magnus Archives and TAZ Balance, with a few original things thrown in for spice! Most links stay on Tumblr, but I've also got some of my longer pieces on AO3 linked here as well.

List is under the cut, and thanks for being here!

MAGNUS ARCHIVES FIC

One-shots & multi-chaps (links to AO3):

present tense - Safehouse-era love confessions, the world didn't end edition.

will you remember me - Somewhere Else coffee shop au! Martin is intrigued by an attractive stranger who comes into his coffee shop, especially when they have an intense reaction to seeing him.

why can't the words I need ever come to me  - Research-era Jon finds Tim crying in the bathroom. He tries to help.

slippage (4 chapters) - Jon starts to forget while he and Martin are still in Upton House. Martin has to try to get him out before he forgets everything.

something to hold onto - Tim & Jon s2 reconciliation, with background jondanny

a promise and a prayer - alternate ending to TheOestofOC's The Kindness of Strangers; or, what if Jon & Tim had reconciled before the Unknowing

these constellations will guide you back - What if Martin had been the one to find Jon trying to get his "anchor" for the coffin instead of Melanie?

Tumblr ficlets:

Somewhere Else coffee shop AU: snippet 1 (Martin) snippet 2 (Jon)

Tim & Jon's Excellent American Adventure: 1 (at the airport) 2 (there was only one bed (platonic) aka literal sleeping together) 3 (statement dependence)

Dad!Jon: Jon has always had trouble imagining the future They name her Sasha

yet broken, still you breathe - Jon & Martin listen to The Amazing Devil

life's but a walking shadow - Martin gets Jon to recite some poetry (aka Jon is a Shakespeare nerd)

i will bring you ruin - Jon Sees Jonah's plans before he goes into the Lonely

Other snippets:

Post-Circus Jon angst

JonTim Literal Sleeping Together: China Edition

Martin & Tim say goodbye before the Unknowing

Not-Sasha visits the Trophy Room

Martin can bake?! - s1 Archive gang fluff

Somewhere Else - an explorations of possiblities

Peter Lukas is having a marvelous time.

Message from Jon to Martin, several days after his return from the Buried.

TAZ FIC

One-shots (links go to AO3)

L-U-P (multi-chap, ongoing) - What if Lucretia saw Lup's name burned into the wall and figured out where Lup was? Lup gets out of the umbrella early, and she and Lucretia team up to save the world.

take me back to the start - The Chalice makes Lucretia an offer, and she has to decide what price she is willing to pay for a second chance.

without you - Magnus and Lucretia have only been together, really together, for a couple weeks. When a routine scouting mission goes wrong, he has to face to prospect of nearly a year without her. Magnus/Lucretia fic set during Stolen Century.

a recipe for home - Taako tries to cook for the first time since Glamour Springs. When it goes wrong, Lucretia is there to lend a hand. Set during between the second Lunar Interlude and Petals.

by means of heat and time - Taako gives Angus a cooking lesson (a lifetime ago, Taako gives Lucretia a cooking lesson) - TAZ November Celebration Day 23 - Cooking

how this grace thing works - Taako helps Lucretia with post S&S nightmares, and maybe, just maybe, something starts to heal.

Eventually - Kravitz told Magnus he and Julia would eventually have to re-join the rest of the souls in the astral sea. He never thought about what he would do when “eventually” finally came.

Tumblr ficlets

hold on tight - The Birds get together for a family dinner after Story and Song, and Magnus and Lucretia have a talk about what it means to deserve a happy ending.

"Today's gonna be the best!" - The Birds have a snow day.

Barry is falling. - The moment right after Barry falls from the Starblaster, when he realizes what Lucretia has done.

What if Barry found Lup in Wave Echo Cave? - Barry finds Lup, and has to find a way to hold himself together.

“Shh, they’ll hear us!” - Taako and Angus plan a surprise.

TAZ November Celebration Day 21 - Night - A lil quiet moment between Davenport & Lucretia during Stolen Century.

TAZ November Celebration Day 17 - Rest - The crew of the Starblaster take a much-needed pause.

TAZ November Celebration Day 3 - Warmth - Taakitz Modern AU ficlet. Fluff!

almost home - Magnus returns to Raven’s Roost. (and an answer to the question, how did Magnus get Julia’s ring back?)

Metas/snippets

The Director aways has music playing in her office.

Lucretia never met the Judges in Cycle 65.

The birds and hugs

What if Raven’s Roost never fell?

The Light of Creation isn’t sentient, exactly.

If Lucretia saw Lup’s name burned into the wall and figured out where Lup was

Lucretia doesn’t remember the first time the Bulwark Staff spoke to her.

Lucretia wakes up in a white space.

After Story and Song, Davenport leaves. Lucretia says goodbye.

ORIGINAL WORK Sometimes I post things on here that aren’t fic!

Macbeth in the living room - A short written at the beginning of quarantine, before we really understood anything about how the virus actually worked. The mechanics of distancing are So Wrong but the sentiment is there. It’s a time capsule of a moment.

The One Who Stays Behind (short story)

OTHER BITS AND BOBS

Thoughts on wonder

Babel by RF Kuang time-travel fix-it (ish)

#scribblings #masterpost #putting these all in one place has made me realize just how much i've written in the last three years #wow!

[institute-of-planar-shitposts]

I posted 2,901 times in 2022

That's 2,844 more posts than 2021!

166 posts created (6%)

2,735 posts reblogged (94%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@taakosleftshoe

@barry-j-blupjeans

@terezis

@umbraastaff

@liltaz-asatreat

I tagged 769 of my posts in 2022

#taz ethersea - 105 posts

#the adventure zone ethersea - 103 posts

#ethersea spoilers - 103 posts

#not taz - 37 posts

#taz balance - 24 posts

#ask game - 12 posts

#starry's skies - 11 posts

#sunshine - 10 posts

#yeah - 8 posts

#the misadventure zone - 8 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#everyone it can and that's probably the best way to do it! sure some may die but that's a necessary evil isn't it? some for the good of all?

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

5 and Davenport and Magnus for the fluff prompts? :3

5. "How many cats did you bring home?"

"Magnus."

The human freezes, having just passed Davenport. The gnome is sitting at a table with a cup of coffee, not bothering to look up from his current report.

"Uh. Yes, Captain?"

"What do you have in your coat."

"My hands," Magnus says.

"What else."

"Uh... My keys?"

Davenport raises an eyebrow, pausing in what he's writing. He likes to keep the crew thinking he's a lot stricter than he actually is; based on the muffled meowing obviously coming from the human, Magnus has stumbled upon some cats. Bleeding heart; though Davenport isn't one to talk.

"I - you can't get mad at me," Magnus pleads.

Davenport sets down his coffee, finally looking at Magnus as he hides a smile. "How many cats did you bring home?"

"Just two," Magnus says immediately.

"Only two?"

"...and their little families," he admits.

Davenport holds his stern expression for a moment before he can't keep it up, dissolving into laughter. "Mag-Magnus, we can't - we can't keep that many cats on board," he manages.

"But Captain!" Magnus gives him the biggest puppy eyes he can muster, but Davenport shakes his head, still laughing.

"No, sorry Maggie. I'm sure they're adorable, but I don't think Taako could make enough food to properly feed them."

"He won't have to! I'll do it myself," Magnus says eagerly.

"You've burnt pasta, Magnus," Davenport chuckles. "Listen, we can't keep all of them. You'll have to take them back to their homes. Don't even think of keeping just one."

Magnus perks up at the wink that accompanies the gnome's words. "Hell yeah!"

"Don't make me regret it," Davenport adds, still smiling as he returns to his coffee and reports. Magnus dashes to his room, presumably to decide which cat he's going to keep around.

Taako doesn't need to know yet.

57 notes - Posted August 17, 2022

#4

Based on this post by Gab!

--

Listen, alright - listen. Barry isn't usually up in the middle of the night, and especially not in the Starblaster's kitchen. But tonight he couldn't sleep and he's hungry. So sue him, he wanted to make a sandwich! It's not his fault he couldn't really decide what kind of sandwich. He was able to narrow it down to at least two, he should get a gold star for that. That said, Barry can't choose between the two, so he's here in the kitchen making two sandwiches. And that's perfectly fine and normal.

Except Taako walks in as he's spreading the Nutella on the second sandwich, and Barry freezes. So does Taako, who looks at him, then his sandwiches, then back at him.

"Barold."

"Taako?" He can already feel himself turning red, but tries to keep cool about it.

Taako presses his hands together, inhaling and slowly exhaling. "Barold. Please, for the love of god, tell me you are not making a fucking chicken-Nutella sandwich. Like, I know you have shit taste but that's a crime, Barold, and I will have to call the food police."

"No! God, no, Jesus that sounds awful," Barry blurts. "They're separate sandwiches, I swear!"

"That's - somehow that's worse!" Taako cracks, breaking into guffaws. "What the hell, Barry!"

"I - I couldn't decide!" he says defensively.

"So you made both? Like a lunatic?" Taako cackles.

"Listen, I just - I'm - I'm hungry, okay," Barry says. "Please don't tell Lup?"

"Oh I'm absolutely telling Lup, homie," Taako laughs, holding his side and already halfway to the door.

Barry sighs, putting his face in his hands as he hears Taako dash to Lup's room. There's no way the crew is gonna let him live this down.

66 notes - Posted August 29, 2022

#3

Why is there a polar bear in the jungle Griffin. Griffin they're polar bears. Griffin please tell me this is just an in universe thing. Griffin please tell me you know where polar bears live. Griffin please. Griffin -

76 notes - Posted April 1, 2022

#2

OK now that I'm remembering again, my current theory:

Cambria made the sallow. Reasons I believe this:

The music is the exact same. Could be a coincidence but I doubt it. Griffin knows what he's doing

Balister Hermine said they were certain the sallow was made, specifically to change them. If I'm right, Cambria thinks that the sallow is the best way to save all of them.

The current with the bodies. I mean, come on - that with the fact there are so many twins and triplets etc. etc. etc? Reeks of experimentation! I'm 100% betting Cambria uses the community that's there to test the sallow.

In conclusion,

I don't fucking trust Cambria

91 notes - Posted February 7, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Magnus nearly crashes into the doorframe in his haste to catch Lup before his stone stops buzzing, holding it in the air with a grin as he makes eye contact with her. She grins back and gestures quickly for him to answer, which he does.

"Hello?"

"Oh, uh... I think I have the wrong number?" Lup hears a voice say. "I was uh. I was looking for Lup, but I guess -"

"He- hey!" Magnus interrupts, trying to sound angry and not like he's holding back laughter. "That's not funny, dude."

"It wasn't supposed to be? I'm sorry, man, I probably just put in a number wrong."

"It's not funny, dude, Lup died fifteen years ago today," Magnus insists. Lup has to use both of her hands to muffle her cackling as the line goes awkwardly silent.

"Uh - I'm sorry?" the guy finally stutters.

"You should be! I have half a mind to find out who you are and come show you t-"

"No! No, no need for that!" the guy says hurriedly. "I - uh, I'm sorry for your loss and I'mgonnagonowbye."

The line drops and Lup bursts into guffaws, followed quickly by Magnus. She holds up a hand for a high five and says, "Holy shit that's the best thing I've ever heard. Gods, I love you, Mags," she giggles.

"You're welcome," he grins. "That was fucking hilarious, deffo keep giving freaks my number."

"After that, you fucking bet."

(Based on Ise's Peri's tags in this post!)

262 notes - Posted July 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #not taz #hehehe yeah not surprised magnus short is in there #also people i've reblogged from tracks!! :DDDD

[ao3feed-crimeboys]

my heartbeat's a melody and you are my symphony (you are my heart)

by kristonical

"But, I needed a day with you, because… I—I love her and everyone on this crew with… all of my heart, but—you are my heart… you know that, right?”

And as his brother looks up at him with pleading eyes, Tommy realizes—as he feels his heart thundering in his ears, throat closing up—that he’s scared.

He’s fucking terrified.

He’s—he’s not scared of his brother and him being a lich, no—he’s scared for his brother. He’s scared of… what this change could do to him, to the person he—to be honest—looks up to the most.

[...]

Taking a silent deep breath, and offers his brother a small, shaky smile, and nods slightly. “I know,” he says—and Wilbur gives him a small smile back, equally shaky.

—

or , crimeboys have a good day together

or , or , the adventure zone: balance au , with crimeboys as the twins :) !!

Words: 7196, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Dream SMP, Minecraft (Video Game)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen

Characters: Wilbur Soot, TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Niki | Nihachu

Relationships: Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, No Romantic Relationship(s), Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit, Niki | Nihachu & Wilbur Soot

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Campaign: Balance (The Adventure Zone), AHAHAHAHA TAZ AU MOTHERFUCKERS, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Dungeons & Dragons, sort of ? idk shit abt dnd rlly so not Exactly but yk, Wilbur Soot Loves TommyInnit, TommyInnit Loves Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot Calls TommyInnit Pet Names, Pet Names, Witch Wilbur Soot, TommyInnit-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot-centric, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit-centric, Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, Found Family, Older Sibling Wilbur Soot, Protective Wilbur Soot, TommyInnit is Loved (Video Blogging RPF), Tommyinnit is a Menace (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot is a Menace, Caring Wilbur Soot, Soft Wilbur Soot, Soft TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Caring TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Crimeboys - Freeform, Banter, Attempt at Humor, Fluff and Humor, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Light Angst, Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Brotherly Love, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Affection, Theyre Brothers if u cant tell, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Cuddling, SHIPPERS DNI, He/Him Pronouns for Wilbur Soot, He/Him Pronouns for TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), crimeboys as the taz twins !!!, (tommy is taako n wilbur is lup), Magical Wilbur Soot, Technoblade and TommyInnit are Not Related (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot and Technoblade are Not Related, Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Not Related, Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Like Siblings, Song: Sex Sells (Lovejoy), Song: Since I Saw Vienna (Wilbur Soot), Flower Crowns, Dungeons & Dragons References, Elf Wilbur Soot, Half-elf but close enough, Alternate Universe - The Adventure Zone: Balance Fusion, Rated T for TommyInnit, Swearing, Worried TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Dimension Travel, ... technically but its not rlly in This fic, Not Beta Read, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, sort of ..? there is a Lot of fluff indeed but like Hints of angst here n there

#ao3feed #wilbur soot #tommyinnit #crimeboys #crime boys #crimebois #crime bois #mcyt #This is an automated process #If you see any fic that breaks boundaries #or the fic is yours and you don't want it shared send an ask #it will be looked at and removed if need be

[queenofmoons]

When Angus spoke he had a tendency to swing his legs like a child.

Not like a child, Taako reminded himself, he is a child. Angus made it easy to forget that sometimes.

“Which spice is that?” Angus sat on the counter, leaning just slightly over the stove to watch Taako prepare dinner. 

“Saffron.”

“Isn’t that really expensive?”

“Only when you’re not a famous chef.” Taako handed Angus a spoon with some rice on it. “Try this.”

He was getting better at that. When Angus reached for the spoon, Taako didn’t feel dread rising behind his ribs. He owed that to Kravitz-- who invited himself over on nights he knew Taako was cooking, and who reminded him, gently, that even if the food was poisoned (which it wasn’t), it wouldn’t kill him-- And Lup, who wouldn’t let him stop cooking.

“You got your name cleared,” she reminded when his face fell as Magnus stole a cookie from the baking sheet, “it wasn’t your fault.” And, really, how had he managed to survive so long without her?

Sure enough, the rice didn’t kill Angus.

“It’s good, sir!” Angus said. “But…”

“Watch it.”

“It could use some more salt.” Angus looked so apologetic while he said it that Taako gave him the benefit of the doubt. He tasted it.

It needed more salt.

“Good catch, kid.” Angus’s face lit up with the praise.

#I found this in my notes and I won't finish it so #taz balance #drabble #the adventure Zone balance #the adventure zone #Taako Taaco #Angus Mcdonald #TAZ balance fic #taz balance fluff #fluff #the adventure zone fic #taz fanfiction

[comradelup]

“Nope,” Taako says simply, turning away. “Nuh-uh, Taako’s good out here.”

“What’s wrong?” Kravitz asks.

“Taako don’t do elevators babe.” Taako crosses his arms and looks around. “Where’re the stairs?”

“There are no stairs here,” Kravitz regrets to inform.

Taako’s head snaps to look Kravitz in the eyes. “What? Why?”

Kravitz shrugs, a frown on his face. “I don’t know.”

“Well there has to be something! A fire escape, a big ladder, the power of flight?” Taako says, “I’m not going back in an elevator, never again.”

“I, um… I think we have to.”

Taako pouts, but there’s real concern under there. Kravitz frowns.

“We don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

Taako shakes his head. “No, this concert’s important to you. I’m not gonna run away like a baby.”

“You’re not a baby for being scared. I get it if you have to leave, promise.”

Taako sighs, eyeing the big metal box before them. “No, I can do it.” He steps forward and presses the button. “Let’s get this over with.”

Kravitz follows and takes Taako’s hand in his. He squeezes his grip and Taako wordlessly squeezes back. His foot starts tapping, either with impatience or nervousness, probably both.

The doors open and Taako hesitates for just a second before the two of them walk in, the door sliding shut behind them.

Before Kravitz can do anything else Taako is motioning for him to wait. He’s leaned down and closely inspecting the occupant capacity and the weight limit. Kravitz’s been in this exact elevator with a much larger group than two people with no issue, but he says nothing.

“Okay,” Taako says, standing again. He takes a deep breath. “Okay, okay. Let’s do this.”

Kravitz presses the button for the basement floor, with the two of them on the ground level. He takes Taako’s hand and his palm is sweaty.

The elevator starts descending, causing that familiar feeling in Kravitz’s stomach. Taako says, “Nope! Nope nope nope,” and pulls Kravitz into a hug. He has a death grip around Kravitz’s middle and his head buried in his shoulder. Kravitz rubs his hand up and down his back, kissing Taako’s cheek.

“It’ll be okay,” he says, “We’re almost there.”

Taako nods, and his foot starts tapping again. Kravitz feels bad. He knows Taako never wants pity, but it’s hard not to have it for him in this moment.

Before long, the elevator comes to a stop with a pleasant little ding, the doors sliding open. Kravitz blinks and Taako’s off him, getting out of the car as soon as he could squeeze through the doors.

Following him, Kravitz sees that Taako looks like he just ran a marathon. He’s taking deep breaths and he’s slumped against the wall. Kravitz comes to stand beside him and asks, “Everything okay?”

Taako alternates between keeping his eyes shut tight and blinking rapidly. His voice shakes a little as he says, “All good over here, babe.”

“Take as much time as you need,” Kravitz says, leaning next to him against the wall. “I’m really sorry. If I knew beforehand I never would have taken you here.”

“Nah, don’t worry about it, it’s all cool. I just don’t like stepping into a big metal trust box is all.”

Kravitz chuckles. “Well, after today I promise: no more trust boxes.”

“Heh. Good.”

Taako’s smiling, but he still looks shaken. Kravitz knows that they’ll have to do that again when they’re leaving, and it’ll probably be just as bad going up, if not worse.

“You ready to go?” he asks. Until that moment, he’s going to make sure Taako enjoys the evening as much as possible.

“Yeah,” Taako says. He stands, rolls his shoulders, and says again, “Yeah. Let’s do this thing, stud.”

Kravitz takes his hand and leads him in the direction of loud pumping music.

#i watched a mbmbam animatic about griffin’s fear of elevators + thought about taako’s same fear + ended up with taakitz fluff ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ #taz #taz balance #taz fic #taakitz #balance #taako #kravitz #writing #txt #i wrote this *forever* ago and never posted it?? idk #either way here it is lol

[the-badass-journal-keeper]

A Mixed Bag of Nuts

Taako and Kravitz get a new cat. They can't decide on her name, so Lup and Barry are invited to weigh in.

The link to read on Ao3 will be in the reblog!

-

"Cool Barry."

Barry didn't bother to sigh. He did, however, pick up his book from the coffee table and drop out of the conversation.

Lup did sigh at her brother's suggestion. "You're not naming your new fleabag 'Cool Barry' as if my husband isn't the coolest guy I know."

"There's no accounting for taste," Taako said, sticking his tongue out at her and crossing the name off his list.

"What about Her Lady Darkness of Eternal Suffering?" Kravitz asked, looking up from his own list.

"Babe. Babe, no," Taako said, shaking his head. "Look at her. Absolutely not."

Kravitz looked around. "Where is our sweet little Belladonna of the Night?"

"Also no," Taako said. He leaned over the arm of the couch to check some common kitty hiding spots. "She's probably just settling in, finding her favorite sunny windows. Whatever."

"C'mon, Taako, give me a couple more. Rapid-fire, hit me," Lup said, waving him on.

"Alright, alright. Let's start with... Angus."

"No."

"Dad'n'port."

"He would feel simultaneously so honored and so angry. No."

"Are you sure on Cool Ba-"

"Absolutely sure. Next."

"Lup But Never Lived In An Umbrella."

The twins' screeching started to sound genuinely angry. Barry glanced up from his book. He flinched slightly when Lup stole Taako’s pen and threw it in back at him, but relaxed when it missed by half a foot. He chuckled when he saw Kravitz eyeing the Fantasy Fire Extinguisher in the next room. Barry was more than familiar with the types and tones of the twins' fights. This one wasn't as bad as it looked. Kravitz would learn soon, too.

Barry was about to settle back into his book when movement on the edge of his vision caught his attention. A small grey cat was staring at him from the doorway to the sunroom. He smiled and slid down the couch towards her.

"Hi there," he cooed. "How are you liking it here?"

As if in answer, she glanced at the twins, who were now cuddled on the couch. They shoved Kravitz with their legs into a smaller and smaller section of cushion. They were still screaming at each other.

"Oh, yeah, they do get kinda loud." He chuckled. "You'll get used to it, I promise."

She gave a quiet, crackly mew. Barry held out a hand and she trotted over to nuzzle into his palm.

"Yeah, you'll do just fine," he said, scratching down her back. "You seem like you enjoy attention. That's a common trait around here. We'll all spoil you rotten in no time."

Lup fell off the couch with a thump. The cat twitched at the sudden noise. She evaluated Barry for a moment, then sought refuge between his thigh and the arm of the couch. Barry adjusted a little so he could read and pet her at the same time.

"Now, don't you tell the twins," he whispered, "but we spoil them rotten, too. The other crew members and Krav and me. But they'll never admit it. ‘Cause then we might stop spoiling them. Just like I'm sure you won't admit it when it happens to you."

Barry and the cat settled in together while the twins fought on. Every now and then, Kravitz would call his name, trying to get him to intercede. Barry barely pretended to "help," not looking up from his book for any interruption. He would call out for one or the other twin to stop whatever behavior was distressing Kravitz. Hair pulling, outfit criticizing, someone calling the other “sour little Lulu Lemon,” someone singeing the other's hat brim - the usual Taaco Twin Stuff.

"He's just as dramatic as the two of them," Barry said to the cat. She had been purring for a few minutes. Between that and his book’s plot picking up steam, he was starting to see the appeal of animal companions.

“Barold? Babe?”

Barry hummed in question while turning the page.

“Who you talkin’ to?”

“Oh, just lil Peanut.” He gave the cat an extra scritch behind the ear.

A hand yanked the book from his grasp. Barry made a distressed noise and reached for it, looking up to see who had interrupted him.

“Barry J?” Taako looked down his nose with a stony expression. “What did you just call my precious Mew-hann?”

Barry held out his hand for his book. Taako held it farther away.

“Is that what you guys settled on? ‘Mew-hann’? Cause- cause if that’s some kind of pun or goof on Johann’s name- It sounds more like a bad Fantasy Jedi name a kid invented for himself for a friend’s Kittens and Fantasy Star Wars themed birthday party, bud.”

“That’s basically what I said!” Lup said, bouncing across the room and taking the book from Taako as she did. “Or, I said it sounded like a Fantasy Star Trek species name.” She stretched out on the couch Barry was on, wiggling her fuzzy sock-clad toes under his leg and thumbing through his book instead of handing it back. “But I gotta say, I kinda like the sound of Peanut for the little fuzzball.”

“I can’t believe you,” Taako said. “Here, no, listen, she doesn’t like it either. Look.” He turned to face the cat. “Look at papa, Peanut!”

She did that.

Taako spluttered. Lup cackled.

“That- that was a- That doesn’t mean anything!” Taako said. “Lup, you call her. Use a different name, but use the- the- y’know, cat baby talk voice I used.”

Lup sat up to get a better view of the cat on the other side of Barry. “Hello, Ebony Sacrifice!”

The cat yawned.

“That means nothing!” Taako insisted. “My cat will not have a- that’s not a good enough name! We’re not calling her that!”

“Peanut! Come to Kravitz.”

The cat stretched and hopped off the couch Barry and Lup occupied. The room was silent as she crossed to Kravitz’s couch, rubbed up against his shins, hopped up next to him, and curled into a little kitty loaf.

“Huh,” Barry said.

“I hate you,” Taako said.

“The name’s kind of growing on me,” Lup said.

Kravitz sighed. “I was really hoping that Queen Vampiria, Destroyer of Realms and Hearts would be the one” He crossed off the last entry on his name suggestion list.

A/N: Barry “Are you afraid?” Bluejeans: The twins and Kravitz are so dramatic.

#taz balance #the adventure zone #taakitz #blupjeans #barry bluejeans #taako #lup #kravitz #reaper squad #fluff #humor #fluff and humor #terrible name suggestions #taaco twins being chaotic #taaco twins #my writing

[balance-and-bonds]

Summary:

“What the… what are you all doing? We have work to do!” It’s a justified reaction, Lucretia thinks, to finding your entire crew literally lazing about on deck not an hour into this new cycle. “This one's on me,” Taako says. “It’s a new trend I like to call: taking a fucking break.”

Cycle Nintey-Five. Everyone’s maybe not doing so good and could use a little warmth.

Read on Ao3 or below...

“Well,” Lup says, materializing on the Starblaster with the rest of them. “That one sucked.”

There isn’t time for anything else as Barry rushes over, scooping her up and causing a small shriek of laughter. She had been gone for months, as had Merle, and at the very end, even Davenport.

Lucretia glances around out of long habit, noting everyone in their designated spot. Merle back after another Parlay, Magnus again looking hale and whole, no longer with an arm in a sling from an incident with local marauders. Taako has that old familiar presence that had been missing through the long months without his twin, the dark bags under his eyes are gone, his skin no longer ashen. Barry, too, is less pallid and sickly looking after suffering a long bout with a respiratory disease the past few months, but had been strong enough to fly the ship on the final day.

“Cycle Ninety-Five, everyone,” Davenport says from the helm, quickly checking over the navigational instruments and setting their course. He doesn't look particularly fazed after being struck dead during a last-ditch effort to get the Light. His voice, though, betrays his exhaustion. “Good work getting out of there.”

Merle is already striding over to him, clapping a hand to his shoulder. “Made it through another one!”

“Made it through is right,” Taako says, but even he’s smiling as Lup and Barry split apart and she throws herself at him.

“Missed ya, broseph,” she says, holding tight.

“No you didn’t,” he replies, holding back just as tight. “Have a nice nap?” After so many years their losses had become easier, but it didn’t stop them from hurting, nor from missing each other like hell.

“Hope this one’s better than the last,” Magnus says, already moving towards the front besides Merle and Davenport at the console. The others join soon after, except for one.

Lucretia stays back. She had smiled at first, for their sake, but it’s forced and anyway no one notices her. The flimsy mask slips off and she moves to the window’s edge, laying a hand on the wall to steady herself.

“This one looks promising,” Davenport says, tilting the ship in a slow circling curve so the world comes more into view.

It must be already past midday, so startling bright Lucretia has to squint and lay a hand over her brow to see. The world below is iridescent, full of blue-green forests and rich red stone, with rolling hills, winding rivers, and a distant turquoise sea on the horizon. It’s a welcome sight. After landing on the last cycle there had been no sight of the sun, perpetually cold and damp with gray seas and heavy gray skies choked with ash. The people there had a similar gray look and feel, as rugged as the terrain. Some had been hospitable and helpful but many others had been warlike and wary. Still, it was a shame to have not found the Light. But they had escaped once more. As always with a new cycle, there’s work to be done.

For now, though, Lucretia slips away and no one notices. They should be able to enjoy being together again without her sullen attitude. Out on deck, going along the helm and adjacent greenhouse, past the squat stern of the ship and around to the other side, there’s a sturdy wooden bench bolted down tight, courtesy of Magnus. There, Lucretia sits, staring blankly out, seeing little more than blue sky and distant purple-gray stormclouds.

The ship stops it’s circling and steadies out, sailing on straight and steady. Her head and body is in the shade at this angle, but at least there's sunlight on this plane, thank the gods. For a time she sits with her hands folded over her stomach, feeling it rise and fall as she sifts through her emotions.

“I made it,” she whispers, and then shivers, pulling her red robe closer, the chill of the previous world clinging like a fog. At least now she doesn’t have to tell the others. It doesn’t matter anymore.

The last cycle, Lucretia had tried to kill herself.

She survived, though. It’s good, of course. Distantly, she realizes it’s good. But she’s still so damn tired. Even if this new world is better than the previous one—which was remarkably bad—it doesn’t stop the looming danger over their heads. Nothing has really changed. She’s already so fucking done, and now she has to do it all over again. It was easier before when she hadn’t felt so alone. But more recently there’s been a slow acting poison in her veins that she’s finding harder and harder to struggle against, a voice that tells her she’s not needed. Not really. She’s not wanted, even by those who she calls her family.

So what’s the fucking point?

She breathes that in and feels it sit hot in her chest, and then tells herself to not be stupid. Things are fine; she needs to stop being so dramatic. They made it. They’re all back and safe. She should go try and help before she gets in trouble for shirking her duties. She just needs a minute. A few minutes. They won’t miss her, anyway.

She dips her head lower, trying to fight against that thought. It’s been harder, though, ever since the end of Cycle Ninety-Two when they had decided on a grand plan to beat out the Hunger, with her own plan so thoroughly dismissed. It's like they hadn’t even listened, or like she’s still seen as a child, a silly little girl. But she should be used to that.

Her job is the chronicler. All she’s meant to do is be quiet, stay on the sidelines, and record the stories of those who actually matter. Not her. Of course they wouldn’t listen to her. Why should they care what she thinks?

No. No, of course they care. She knows that. After so many years she shouldn’t be questioning this, she can’t afford to be so weak hearted. Her eyes shut tight as she wishes she could scratch out these feelings, tear them out of her head like a page of her journals. New cycle, new body, but these thoughts cling on, stubborn as a tick.

Well, she’ll just need to keep a tighter lid on herself. With everything else going on, with so much at stake, there’s no need to bother the others with her issues. She’s gotten better at being self-sufficient after Sixty-Five, or, perhaps, a bit worse. But she can handle this. She can pretend for their sake, anyway. They’re probably together now; she should join them, just not yet. They won’t notice if she’s gone a bit longer.

“Wondering where you ran off to,” Taako says from off to her right, coming from the stern as she had. It’s easier to go undetected that way, out of sight of the helm's broad windows. Her hands tighten in her lap.

“Just needed some quiet.” She had assumed he’d be spending the new day with Lup and the others, but it’s not surprising he’d want to check on her. Taako sits beside her, slouching low and letting his long legs stretch out across the wooden deck, his feet in the sun.

“How ya doing?” he asks.

“Fine.” She’s mindful enough that being silent is not a comforting response, nor does she want to worry him with the truth. Not anymore. New cycle and all that.

He’s quiet, and so is she.

She needs to be careful. He alone knows what she did last cycle. It was he who had pulled her from that oil-slick ocean, freezing and retching, and had stayed with her on that rocky shore as she broke down. He had listened to her. He hadn’t even shouted that much, which she appreciated. Then he had comforted her and half-carried her back to the silver ship, had gotten her warm food and into a soft bed, and stayed with her even then. When the others arrived back from their expedition, he kept her secret. In fact, they never openly talked about it after that day, but he was gentler with her, inviting her to spend time with him in the kitchen, and keeping her company during the days and restless nights.

He had been wonderfully kind. Still is, of course. But he doesn’t need to do that anymore. It’d be better to let him think it had been a momentary weakness and that she’s not still that pathetic. He’s got his sister back and the rest of them. He’s done enough.

“I’ll be fine,” she tells him, sitting up straighter and actually sounding like it. “You should go be with the others. I’ll be there shortly.”

“Uh huh.” He doesn’t move, though, other than idly twist his heel. Then his foot stops mid-twist. Without a word he yanks off his boots and socks before kicking his bare feet into the sun. Dammit. So he’s apparently not leaving anytime soon. She slouches down beside him, feeling like she’s being babysat.

At least the others have no reason to worry about her. Lucretia glances back at the familiar ship, considering that. “You didn’t tell them, right?”

“Nuh,” he says with a faint shrug. “You asked me not to. I can respect that.”

She nods, settling back again. “Thank you.” It wouldn’t matter anyway, when their deaths are fleeting. Why should anyone care if she had killed herself, or tried to? Still, she doesn’t want them to know. She can’t bear that kind of pity.

“Ya made it through, though,” Taako says with an attempt at optimism. “Survived another one.”

“Yeah. And what was the fucking point?” The bitter words slip out before she can stop herself. She shuts her eyes, because she shouldn’t be doing this. “No. Sorry. I-I’m sorry, I didn’t—“

“Chill, Luce,” Taako says in a low voice. “Don’t do that. It’s okay.”

She’s careful to breathe evenly, her eyes burning hot, and she doesn’t want to cry right now.

“I know I made it. That’s a good thing. And it’s a new cycle, a new chance, I know all of that. But nothing’s really changed. I… don’t want to keep doing this. I can’t.”

“You gotta keep hanging in there.” He doesn’t look at her, his eyes distant. “We all are. And maybe it’ll keep sucking for a bit, but you’re here. We gotta keep trying.”

“I guess,” she says for lack of anything else. That alone isn’t reassuring. She’s not sure if she wants to be here, nor anywhere. How much longer does she have to keep going? Although of course they now have an answer to that question. She appreciates he doesn’t mention that there's a plan to defeat the Hunger at last, just not her own. That place in her heart is still soft and purple bruised.

“At least that last cycle is over,” Taako says in a more normal voice, not like he’s tip-toeing around her. “That’s gotta be in the top five worst ones. Cha’boy’s missed the sun. I can’t pull off the vampire look, and those vitamin things of Merle’s were gross. And that fucking plague?”

“That fucking plague,” Lucretia says in agreement.

“Fucking thing kept coming back, that was just unnecessary. Magnus kept me up for weeks with that cough of his.”

“I’m sure that was rough on you,” she says, smiling despite herself. Taako’s easy to be with.

“It was! Big guy kept coughing on everything, can’t believe I didn’t keel over from that alone. Then that tsunami hit, and those firestorms. Oh man, and the people? Don’t get me started on those assholes. Yeah, mark it down in your records, Luce. Ninety-four: shitty as hell.”

“And the one before that,” Lucretia says, easing a little with the familiarity. It doesn’t feel so much like letting down her walls as peeking over them. “Awful.”

“Fuck yeah, that one super sucked!”

“I’ll mark that down, too.”

“Good. This year’s gotta be better than those.” He pauses before rapping his knuckles on the wooden bench beneath them.

“Maybe,” she says. For a moment the hope is almost catching, and then it fizzles out once more. “But maybe it doesn’t matter.”

He lets out a long breath at that.

“Sorry,” she says quickly, because she’s really not trying to make him leave. She doesn’t want to push him away. “Y-you’re right, maybe this one will…” But he waves a hand to quiet her and she lets the false words die, wishing she could feel better. At least he doesn’t leave.

After a moment he stretches his arms high overhead, a long cat-like motion with even his toes flexing ahead. She watches, bemused, as he then slips down off the bench, almost gelatinous, and sprawls out flat on the deck of the ship. He sits up again a second later, only to slip his arms from the sleeves of his IPRE jacket and yank off his woolen sweater, mussing up his braid and bangs as it comes over his head. When he lays down again, it’s only in shirt sleeves. He sighs with evident satisfaction.

“Join me, Luce,” he says, not opening his eyes against the glare. His skin and hair and clothing take on a golden edge in the light of this world’s sky. A minor deity, she muses. Narcissus, perhaps. Or, more kindly, Apollo, that twin god of beautiful and refined things, of truth and of sunlight.

Lucretia hesitates and then follows his lead, pulling off her robe, then her light jacket, and then her other long sleeve shirt—she always ran cold as her mother used to say—setting them on the bench and remaining in a white tank top. Tentatively she kneels down as Taako moves his left arm up into a crook for her head to rest. The wooden beams are still cool, the chill seeping through the jacket laid out beneath them, but the sun here is warm and the sky above nearly cloudless and the color of a bluebird's wing. She shifts closer to him, a warm presence, and she breathes.

It’s… nice. It’s wonderfully warm and she soaks it in, a great relief after the last world’s frequent storms of sleet and hail and freezing rain. The sun beats down, not too strong that it’s unbearable, but pleasantly so, raising gooseflesh on her bare arms as it reddens her eyelids. The dark thoughts are still there like shadows. But, like shadows, they’re chased away by the light and it’s not just that of the sun.

Fuck, she might have needed this.

“We’re gonna get through this shit,” Taako murmurs, sounding half asleep. “And we’re doing it together, don’t forget.”

“Yeah,” she whispers, because she had forgotten. “I know.”

“It’d have been an asshole move if you left me alone with Magnus and Cap,” he says. It’s joking but doesn’t quite land.

“You would have been fine, we both know that,” she replies quietly, hoping it will come off as reassuring. He makes a little noise in his throat. Without looking she knows that he’s frowning.

“We’d have missed you. We always do.” His head turns a bit, and she tilts her chin up to meet his soft gaze. “We’re better with you here.”

She lowers her eyes, not wanting to argue but also not sure if she believes him. Ever since Ninety-Two she’s felt more and more out of place. After all, she was the only dissent. It was her idea that was so thoroughly rejected. Wouldn’t it be better for them to not have her there? Not like they have much choice. Well, unless she makes the decision for them and cuts her cycle short. She would do it for them. Would they be happier that way?

It’s a chilling, miserable thought and she pushes it down. Perhaps she’s that obvious, or he’s just that good at reading her, because his arm tightens around her.

“For what it’s worth, I’m glad you’re here,” he whispers. He sounds so sincere. It makes her want to believe him, clutching at that slender hope. She nods, pressing her lips tight.

“Cause of you,” she manages to say. “Thank you. Really, Taako.”

She loves him, all of them, and she can’t forget that in her self-pity. It’s easier, just a little, to want to keep going. For him. For them.

“Course,” he says, his voice high and pleased before then dipping low. “And, l-listen, I get how hard it is, and it fucking sucks, but you’re still here. We both are. So… I’m proud of ya, Luce.”

Her eyes jump open at that, and the bright blue sky is suddenly a watery haze that she has to blink away. She holds onto those words, pressing them like a flower between pages, tucked away safe. It’s strange, being told she might have done something good. Despite it all, he’s still here, he cares, and that’s something, at least. Perhaps that’s what she needs, now: something to hold onto.

But she’s reminded that Taako does understand her, all too well. It’s hard for him, too, especially whenever he loses Lup. He had only mentioned it once, so offhandedly she had nearly missed it, but she knows. He’s also struggling but he pulled through, and she now finds that same pride reflected.

“We made it,” she says, this time for his sake.

“Yeah.” His breath shudders as he lets it out. “Yeah, we fucking did.”

She inches closer and lays her head against the sharp point of his shoulder, her body curling towards his. Maybe she’s not as alone as she had thought.

“I’m glad you’re here, too,” she murmurs.

She expects a quip at that, something flamboyant and self-assured. Instead he slips his arm out from over her head and brings it down between them, gripping her hand and not letting go, and she holds right on back. The sun is bright overhead and they close their eyes, both of them set out to thaw after a long winter.

Not long after she hears the main door leading outside slam open. She idly wonders if it’s Magnus or Lup, but she’s too comfortable to do anything about it.

“Lucretia?” Magnus calls out from the other side of the ship, shocking her into alertness. Listening more closely now, she thinks she can hear the door to the greenhouse also open and close. “Luce?”

She sits up as Taako lets out an annoyed groan, laying an arm across his eyes like that might shut out the noise.

“Luce!” Magnus shouts again from the back of the ship. He rounds the corner and spots them, swearing and racing over before dropping to his knees. “Luce! Are you okay?”

“I-I, yes, I’m fine. What’s wrong?” She would have gotten to her feet if he wasn’t gripping her shoulders. “What’s happening?”

“Wha… nothing,” Magnus says, visibly confused and still considerably anxious. “You just disappeared earlier and you weren’t in your room or the kitchen or, like, anywhere.”

“Sorry.” She’s so thrown off she’s not sure what to say. “I uh, just...”

“I told you I was taking care of it,” Taako mumbles. Lucretia glances over and so does Magnus, who lets go at that but frowns, almost dejected.

“Right. Yeah.” He pulls away and clumsily gets to his feet, looking out of place as he stands over them. “But you guys are okay?” His hand shields his eyes as he glances to the sun. “Kind of a weird place for a nap.”

“We’re fine,” Lucretia says reassuringly, not wanting to worry Magnus who already worries too much about all of them.

“Peachy,” Taako adds. Then he lifts his arm and looks up to Magnus, apparently considering something. “Yo Mags, join us. It’s ballin’.”

Fortunately this part of the deck is wide and accommodating because he’s awfully quick to join them, laying down on Lucretia’s other side with little fanfare. She’s content to settle back between them, tucked close.

“Okay, yeah, this is nice,” Magnus says after a minute and the other two hum in agreement. Like them, he shrugs off his winter clothing, shoving the cable knit sweater onto the bench besides hers, his jacket spread below as a blanket.

It’s not even that warm, truthfully. The air is cool at this altitude, high and crisp in her nose and lungs, but it simply makes the sunlight more welcoming. It’s like springtime in the mountains, bracing and full of promise.

Magnus clears his throat and asks conversationally, “Hey, uh, so anyone else real fucking tired of running and fighting shit all the time, or is that just me?”

“So fucking tired,” Taako says.

“Cool, cool,” Magnus says, nodding.

Lucretia’s left hand is free and so she reaches out to lightly take his, not thinking much of it but simply a quiet reassurance because she doesn’t feel like talking much. But when she does, he grips her hand back so fast and with such alarming fierceness that she flinches. It hurts. Quite a lot, actually, but she doesn’t pull away. Barely moving her head, she glances over and sees him staring straight at the sky, jaw clenched and holding his breath in his chest. She stares, that feeling seeming to catch in herself as well. He keeps holding on tight, painful and desperate as if afraid to let go. Slowly, Lucretia swipes her thumb over the edge of his knuckle, a small gentle motion. He quietly lets out that tense breath, his eyes awfully bright. Bit by bit, his grip loosens.

Right. They’re all going through this hell together. She hadn’t thought how much Magnus might be struggling, trying to protect them all as they die over and over. They’re all so damn tired. They’re all suffering. It’s strangely comforting. At least they’re not alone.

His eyes flicker over to hers, a question and apology because he probably didn’t intend to crush her hand. She smiles in answer and doesn’t let go. With that reassurance he sinks down, his strong shoulders relaxing. She subtly slips her other hand into Taako's and he lets her. They continue to lie there, holding hands like children and breathing easy. Despite the hard wood at her back and the overhang of the deckhouse above them, she can almost believe they’re back home in a grassy park, watching the clouds overhead and making pictures. There might still be that innocent joy somewhere in them, even now.

Soon they hear Lup and Barry near the pointed bow of the ship. They’re out of sight but Lucretia can picture them in her mind, close together with arms full of instruments and pads of paper, the usual scene at the beginning of every cycle. There’s chatter between them, largely indistinct, and Lucretia thinks they should maybe go help. The others don’t budge, though, and anyway she’s feeling a bit like a warm puddle.

“Thought they’d be shagging right about now,” Taako mutters, and Lucretia laughs.

“Who even says shagging anymore?” Magnus says. “What decade are you from?”

“I’m almost ancient, my dude. I’m an elf of many decades.”

They’re not so quiet to escape notice, it seems, as the voices pause and are replaced with approaching footsteps.

“Oh. Huh,” Barry says, and Lucretia creaks an eye open to find him blinking down at them.

Lup appears at his shoulder and then tips her head sideways. “You good over there?”

“Luce needed some Taako time,” Taako says with a small squeeze of his hand, which Lucretia is grateful for.

“Yeah?” Lup sounds thoughtful as she comes closer. “That so?”

“I’m here, too,” Magnus says, lazily waving an arm.

Lucretia squeezes his and Taako’s hand back, memorizing the feeling, and then starts to sit up. “It’s fine, though. We can—“

“No, no, no, this looks important,” Lup is quick to say. A moment later she’s straddling over Lucretia’s entire body, her face inches away and her hand cradling her cheek. If they hadn’t spent almost a century together this might have been startling, even terrifying. As it is, Lucretia is quite touched.

“You doing okay, hon?” Lup asks, eyes locked on her own with great intensity, apparently trying to read into her soul.

“Yeah,” Lucretia says, smiling faintly. Better, anyway. She knows what her reset looks like: the same dark circles under her eyes—a reminder of that last sleepless night before their voyage—and the unfortunate spots of acne, the same dark hair at the exact same length. But she imagines her eyes might indeed betray that deeper exhaustion, the fears and worries she’s been so careful to hide.

“Last year was kinda awful, huh?” Lup mutters, stroking her thumb over her Lucretia’s cheek before gazing around: from Taako to Magnus and the open space overhead. She does this a few times, left, right, and left again before finally slumping down between Taako and Lucretia, half crushing both of them until they squirm out from under her.

“Hey!” Taako says with an undignified squawk. “Go find your own cuddle puddle!”

“Just did,” Lup replies, sprawling an arm across Lucretia’s stomach, which Lucretia clasps on reflex.

“Welcome back, Lup,” Lucretia says softly, now feeling a touch guilty for running off earlier, and also because she’s truly missed Lup. Even when she hadn’t spoken much with her these past couple years, she misses that beautiful light that she brings with her, same as Taako and all the rest. Truth is, she’s been missing Lup for a long time.

“Was wondering where you ran off to without giving me a hug,” Lup whispers, her face against Lucretia’s shoulder as she snuggles closer. Despite the lighthearted tone, there’s a quiet concern beneath that does something to her heart. Before, Lucretia hadn’t wanted to worry the others for selfish reasons—more out of a desire to not deal with any of it—but now she remembers she really does hate causing them pain. She pulls her arm out from between them and curls it around Lup’s skinny shoulders.

Barry continues to stand near their feet, the four of them now pressed quite close and almost out of space width-wise. He doesn’t move nearer, though, looking unsure with his hands in his pockets.

“Joining in?” Lucretia asks. When he meets her eyes, he’s so tired.

This last year has been hard on him. It always is, losing Lup, and he had kept busy off the ship even more afterwards so that Lucretia had barely seen him. That had seemed for the best. She had convinced herself she was handling her own dumb emotions and didn’t need to bother him. He was—and is—going through a lot and doesn’t need Lucretia’s problems on top of all the rest. But it’s not just that. She had pulled away after his and Lup’s decision was chosen over her own. Some older, mature part of her mind knows she had been acting childishly, yet she still let that distance grow. She had left him to suffer alone this year, and guilt now gnaws at her. She hadn’t meant it to go so long. It never should have gotten this bad. They have too much history, too much love between them, to give up.

“Come on, babe,” Lup says gently. “We got space for ya.”

But rather than slot between them he steps around, squeezing past the bench and stooping to pat Magnus’s shoulder as he goes. With slow movements he lays down near their heads, perpendicular to the rest.

“If you’re gonna be there, scooch,” Taako says lightly, waving his hand forward. “I could use a pillow.”

Barry concedes with a sigh. “Been a while, huh?” is all he mutters as he moves closer to all of them. It feels like another piece of a puzzle fitting into place, another tension in her heart loosening just a bit more.

A hand comes to rest on her bare shoulder—the one Lup is nestled against—and she knows its Barry by pure touch. Against her skin he writes out a question in the cryptic language they had created over the decades, borne from accident and necessity.

You okay?

She means to answer back the standard affirmative response. Then she decides otherwise because in fact she’s not terribly good, and maybe right now that’s a little bit okay. Therefore, when she reaches up and across her chest to respond, it’s only to rest her hand over his own. He hesitates at that. She can feel his fingers twitch, troubled and restless as he interprets that. For a moment, she thinks he’ll pull away. She wouldn’t blame him. Then there comes one more message, written with care:

Okay.

He squeezes her shoulder, a comforting touch, and that’s enough. He doesn’t move his hand away, and she grips his tighter, leaning her head against it. It’s good to have him back. Maybe they can talk again. She misses that. He might miss it, too, now that she thinks about it.

Merle is next.

“You guys aren’t dead, right?” he asks when he comes up on deck, staring at them and scratching at his beard. “Cause I don’t think I’ve got that much healing in me.”

“Not yet,” Taako says. “Give us a few months and we’ll see.”

“Just getting that good ol’ vitamin D you’re always harping about,” Lup adds.

“I thought you’d have already gotten that with Barry,” Merle says. Lup aims a kick at his shin, while the others laugh or groan.

They’re definitely running out of deck space between the bench and the railing, so Merle sits cross-legged against the wooden side of the ship near Taako and Barry’s heads. He doesn’t need any extra prodding to start shedding layers, yanking off his own jacket and hooded sweatshirt. Lup and Barry had already de-robed a bit as well, whether to fit in or because the sun feels really good, it’s hard to say.

“Did I miss much the last go-around?” Merle asks conversationally.

“No,” says everyone.

“Well that’s good.”

“Gonna go do Parlay with that asshole again?” Magnus asks from the other end of the pile.

“Eh, maybe, maybe not. Not gonna be anytime soon, though. He might not be pleased to see me after I called him a sanctimonious bastard and told him to kiss my ass—“

“Nice!” says Taako.

“—But all the same… Eh.” He shrugs. “Truth is I’ve missed you fellas.”

“Missed you too, Merle,” Lucretia says with a look over, and he gives a warm smile in return.

“It’ll be good to have you back,” Barry says, reaching up to lazily tap Merle’s knee. She doesn’t remember seeing those little touches much lately, like they’ve all been closing themselves off in their grief and anxiety. Lucretia thinks again that maybe they’re all, in fact, needing this just a bit.

“Cripes this is nice,” Merle says after a little time, pants rolled up and hands hanging loose over his legs, head tilted up towards the sky and looking more like a cleric than usual. “I feel like a plant.”

“Gross,” Taako mutters from beside him, now half curled around his sister.

“But mood.” Lup, in turn, has shifted to lay spread eagle over everyone else, not that anyone complains.

Soon after there comes the sound of the helm door opening and closing, and then the echo of light footsteps from around the corner. It’s quiet for a moment, movement again, and then it stops once more. Lucretia opens her eyes from her half stupor, thinking they’ll need to get to work soon. The others shift around her, but it’s half-hearted at best.

In the silence they can all hear their captain mutter, “Where the hell…?”

“Over here,” Magnus calls out. Taako and Lup groan in sync from her other side.

“What the… what are you all doing?” Davenport barely pauses as he storms over, full of righteous fury. It’s a justified reaction, Lucretia thinks, to finding your entire crew literally lazing about on deck not an hour into this new cycle.

“Uh…”

“We don’t have time for…” He stops, the indignation fading fast as he stutters to a halt, sharp black eyes quickly taking them all in. “Uh. I-s everything okay? This isn’t some sun poison or anything, right?”

“Nah,” Merle says with a lazy wave of his hand. “Don’t think so, anyway.”

“Good.” There’s clear relief, but also a growing confusion. “But then you all need to get up. We have work to do. What are you even doing?”

“This one's on me,” Taako says. “It’s a new trend I like to call: taking a fucking break.”

“Actually this is my fault.” Lucretia raises her hand. “I needed this. Emotionally.”

“Give us five minutes, cap,” Lup adds. “I also need this emotionally.”

“Same,” Magnus mutters. “I’ll take ten minutes. Last year kicked my ass.”

“Last few years, more like,” Barry says.

“When we get to a full century I’m gonna demand a pay raise,” Merle says. “And R&R.”

“Yeah, all right,” Davenport says, conceding more easily than expected. “I suppose we can spare a few minutes.”

“Got some space over here,” Merle says, patting his leg. “Join us plants.”

“Still gross,” Magnus mutters.

Davenport sighs, leaning back on his heels. It’s clear he’s considering stepping away to continue his work, not giving up the authority of captain that he’s worn for so long. Too long. It’s only then Lucretia realizes it’s been forever since the two of them had gone stargazing, spending the night with his telescope on top of the deckhouse and telling stories of the constellations, not as captain and crew but as friends. She’s been cold to him, too, and now that seems a bit unfair.

“Come on, Cap,” Lucretia says, propping an arm under her head to look at him. “It’s pretty fucking nice.” One of these nights she’ll have to bring him tea. If he’ll accept it, that is.

His mustache twitches as his gaze flickers over them, his back still stiff but he’s wavering, undeniably. He takes a moment to glance over the railing and gauge where the ship is sailing towards. As far as she can tell, it’s clear, open skies. He sighs in defeat.

“Why not.” When he looks at them again with that same critical eye, there’s a new question there, and a new bright glint. “Is undressing a necessary part of this?”

He’s answered by a chorus of: “Hell yeah!” “Obviously.” “Wait, can I take more off?” To which the answer is no.

There’s a faint laugh as he bows his head. “All right, then.” He unbuttons his jacket—scuffed in the shoulders, rubbed thin at the elbows, with the mark of a captain over the breast—before carefully slipping it off, shedding that heavy shroud of leadership, and then two more layers until he’s about as dressed as the rest of them. Davenport slips into the narrow space between Taako and the deck railing, laying his head on Merle’s lap and letting out a long and weary breath.

Then all seven are there, sprawled on the deck with their faces turned towards the sun. For a time Lucretia is pleasantly conscious of her surrounding family and of her own deep breaths and the steady beating of her heart.

“Longest two-month mission of my life,” Davenport remarks, which is met with scoffs and laughter.

“Pfft, no shit.”

“Hey, uh, not to put a damper on this,” Barry says reluctantly with an arm over his face, “but I’m gonna fry if I stay out here.”

“Oh, I’ve actually got something for that.” Lucretia takes back both her hands and raises them overhead, fingers dark against the blue of the sky. She pauses, trying to recall how it goes before spreading them wide with a whispered incantation. A translucent shield bubbles around them, flickering briefly before fading almost entirely. It becomes slightly darker than before and the burning sensation on her skin fades. Her hands drop as she settles back, quite content. “That should hold for an hour or so.”

“What’s this?” Barry asks. Lucretia rolls her head backwards to see him poke an arm through the barrier, silver magic fizzing around his skin.

“UV Blocker spell,” Lucretia says lightly, but can’t quite disguise the pride. “I created it a couple cycles back when we were traipsing through the desert with that caravan. Haven’t had a chance to use it since, but yeah. Should have thrown it up sooner, thanks for reminding me.”

“Damn, just making up spells?” Merle says with a soft chuckle, gazing about.

“That’s very impressive,” Davenport says, sitting up to better see it.

“Thanks.” Her lips twitch into a smile, unused to hearing that kind of praise, not in a long time anyway. “You know, I’m actually pretty fucking good at shields.”

She winces a little at that, and then winces harder, her face scrunching. Fuck. She honestly hadn’t meant anything by it. It was meant to be a little proud, a little in jest, but those words could easily come across as bitter. That’s not what she meant. Especially not now.

“Wait, shit,” she mutters, her face burning for a different reason. “I-I didn’t—“

“Hell yeah you are,” Lup says brightly, once again throwing an arm over her and pressing tight. Barry, too, squeezes lightly at her shoulder. Magnus chooses that moment as well to fling a heavy arm across her stomach right alongside Lup’s. It’s overwhelming, just a little, and she holds her breath.

She chances a glance over at Davenport, who’s looking at her with a gentle smile. “No arguments here.”

That clenched, cold feeling in her gut tightens for a moment, and then dissipates all at once as she lets out a long slow breath, emptying her lungs and letting her head lay back, her neck and shoulders loose. She soaks it all in: the sun and the air, and the comforting presence of her family.

Yeah. She really fucking needed this.

They perhaps stay longer than intended. Merle is almost certainly asleep, mouth hanging open and chin to his chest. Barry is faintly snoring, an arm intertwined with Lup’s which probably wasn’t the most comfortable position, while Lup’s other arm lay across Taako’s chest, her leg over Lucretia’s thigh, apparently aiming to sprawl over as many as possible. Magnus is also out like a light, curled up beside her with his jacket for a pillow.

It’s hard to see Taako from where she lies, just the top of his hair and the tip of an ear. Slowly she reaches around Lup to him, accidentally smacking his cheek before finding his shoulder, and he lifts his head in response. So not asleep, then, or not anymore. Good. She doesn’t want to forget him amidst everything else. The truth is that she wouldn’t be here without him. She might exist in this plane, sure, because that’s out of their hands, but she wouldn’t be laying there, surrounded by loved ones. He saved her. It was Taako who came looking for her when she had felt so alone. He brought her back to herself, along with all of them. A bright, golden presence. A wonderful friend. Her brother. Her family.

Against his sun-warm skin, she carefully writes:

Thank you.

His hand finds hers, his long fingers brushing over her knuckles. He also pauses before responding with a simple message that makes her heart skip.

Love you.

“That’s cringe,” she says aloud, like an idiot. Taako lets out a bark of laughter, and she’s holding back her own a little, because it's that or start crying.

“Do I even wanna know?” Lup asks drowsily, creaking one eye open.

“Nah,” Taako says with a long contented sigh. “It’s good.”

“Hmm, yeah.” When Lucretia smiles this time, it’s genuine. “We’re good.”

At the very least, they’re getting better.

#taz balance #lucretia #taako #starblaster #Stolen Century #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #emotional hurt/comfort #angst #bittersweet fluff #aka the only kind I apparently know how to write #might be a bad idea posting the whole thing here but oh well #meant this to be a drabble #On the Deck of the Starblaster