[It's three days and two nights before Taako finally comes home. It's been a weird couple of days, he's still waiting on blood test results after finding himself in Rin's bed, convinced it was his own, but for now he just wants his sister.
A quick locate person tells him that Lucretia isn't in the vicinity, unless she's covering herself with a divination spell, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter that much. He's not going anywhere near her room, or even anywhere in the shared spaces.
Taako just appears in Lup's room, at some ungodly hour of the morning, with a quiet:]
It's me, bubbale.
[He spends a few moments taking off his shoes and rifling through her shit for a pair of pyjamas to change into, but once he's appropriately attired for bed, he slips under the covers and curls up against her, pressing his face into her shoulder.
He probably should've done this from the start, but he needed time to cool down and time to process, because he's sick of feeling like all his emotions are constantly on overdrive.]
[Lup had worried. Of course she had. By day two, she even did her nightly trance in his bed and tried to remind herself that Taako just needed time to calm down.
By day three she was planning a damn search party, but at least she was back in her own bed.
...then the familiar feeling of magic popped up behind her, and she turns to watch her brother. He was okay. Lup has to take a breath to calm herself down, instead just wait for him to finish rummaging around in her drawers for pjs.
Then, finally, he's right there with her, and the contact makes her worry evaporate.]
[He doesn't say sorry, because he doesn't need to say the words out loud for her to know that he is. The way his hand finds hers under the covers is enough, the way he laces their fingers together and holds on for dear life is more than sorry could ever be.]
Do you... do you remember what being dead feels like? Did you ever remember, before you woke up again?
[He never did, it was always like no time had passed, between his last breath on some shitty planet and his first one back on the Starblaster. But maybe Lup remembers.]
[There's never any need for sorry. He's here, and they're close. His hand is holding on to hers, like a lifeline they both need.
...but his words has her confused.]
Remember? I... don't really know. Sometimes I wasn't sure how much of it was passing out and what was dying, but... no. I just remember fading, and then you're hugging me on the Starblaster.
[Something in his posture sinks, like disappointment or relief, it's hard to tell when he's horizontal.]
I dunno what she told you, but there was-- Lucretia put her shield around the Hunger, to cut it off, and everything went white. It was like waking up but there was nothing but white.
[Just like he didn't speak his apology out loud, he doesn't say I think I died, because she'll understand what he's saying.]
[Her heart skips a beat and Lup carefully turns around, as smooth as possible to not disentangle him. This way, she could lean her forehead against his.]
Taako...
[Lucretia would never do anything to hurt you, she wants to say. But that isn't really true, no matter how good her intentions might be.
...and in the end, they are trying to save hundreds of worlds.]
If you're trapped in the shield, we'll figure out a way. I'm not letting us be apart again.
[You're not dead. He's not dead. She doesn't even want to think it.]
[Taako lets out a shaky breath as she turns but leans his head against hers as soon as it's close; he didn't want to tell her this, didn't want her to worry, but like always, he can't keep shit from Lup.
He swallows around the lump in his throat and tries to find something to say that doesn't make him feel as though he's drowning.]
Maybe, uh, maybe Kravtiz'll give me a job. I'll have to come hunt your lich ass down for being undead.
I could catch Barold fucking Bluejeans, don't insult me.
[He manages to put something light into his tone, as if this isn't part of the reason he stayed gone for so long, beyond his anger at Lucretia.
It isn't the dying that he really cares about, they've died so many times by now it's lost all meaning, he just can't stand the idea of being separated from Lup so soon after he found her again.]
I hate to break the bad news to you, Lulu, but you're already kinda dead. Undead.
[It's the same thing, at the end of the day, except for how it only makes all this more complicated. He's not sure how any of this will work. The shield cut the bonds that was keeping the Hunger together, but he isn't sure if that means he's trapped on that plane with them, or if he's just... dead. If Lucretia died along with them, the spell would've been dropped.
And then there's Kravitz. Surely he won't leave Taako to just float in that stupid ghost lake.]
See? Then it would be easy. If you're dead I'm coming after you, just shrugging out of this body and going to the Astral Plane with Barry. We're gonna chill with your boyfriend.
[She nods, like it's all decided and not at all frightening the hell out of her.]
Heroes who save the world deserve a bit of leeway.
[In the world's most petulant voice:] He's not my boyfriend.
[Taako isn't really sure what they are, and it's weird to consider everything that happened between them in those few hours before the world ended, because it doesn't feel like it happened to the version of him that's curled up in bed with Lup, right now.
And it's easier to focus on that, on whatever label he wants to put on his relationship with Kravitz than on literally anything else right now.]
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action bc i couldn't resist
A quick locate person tells him that Lucretia isn't in the vicinity, unless she's covering herself with a divination spell, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter that much. He's not going anywhere near her room, or even anywhere in the shared spaces.
Taako just appears in Lup's room, at some ungodly hour of the morning, with a quiet:]
It's me, bubbale.
[He spends a few moments taking off his shoes and rifling through her shit for a pair of pyjamas to change into, but once he's appropriately attired for bed, he slips under the covers and curls up against her, pressing his face into her shoulder.
He probably should've done this from the start, but he needed time to cool down and time to process, because he's sick of feeling like all his emotions are constantly on overdrive.]
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By day three she was planning a damn search party, but at least she was back in her own bed.
...then the familiar feeling of magic popped up behind her, and she turns to watch her brother. He was okay. Lup has to take a breath to calm herself down, instead just wait for him to finish rummaging around in her drawers for pjs.
Then, finally, he's right there with her, and the contact makes her worry evaporate.]
...welcome home, Koko.
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Do you... do you remember what being dead feels like? Did you ever remember, before you woke up again?
[He never did, it was always like no time had passed, between his last breath on some shitty planet and his first one back on the Starblaster. But maybe Lup remembers.]
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...but his words has her confused.]
Remember? I... don't really know. Sometimes I wasn't sure how much of it was passing out and what was dying, but... no. I just remember fading, and then you're hugging me on the Starblaster.
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I dunno what she told you, but there was-- Lucretia put her shield around the Hunger, to cut it off, and everything went white. It was like waking up but there was nothing but white.
[Just like he didn't speak his apology out loud, he doesn't say I think I died, because she'll understand what he's saying.]
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Taako...
[Lucretia would never do anything to hurt you, she wants to say. But that isn't really true, no matter how good her intentions might be.
...and in the end, they are trying to save hundreds of worlds.]
If you're trapped in the shield, we'll figure out a way. I'm not letting us be apart again.
[You're not dead. He's not dead. She doesn't even want to think it.]
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He swallows around the lump in his throat and tries to find something to say that doesn't make him feel as though he's drowning.]
Maybe, uh, maybe Kravtiz'll give me a job. I'll have to come hunt your lich ass down for being undead.
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She can't be ripped away from him again. If he goes... well, she'll just use her lich magic. Somehow.]
Like you could ever catch me and Barry.
[Her brother is dating Death. If this Kravitz gave a single damn, he would not take him away from her.]
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[He manages to put something light into his tone, as if this isn't part of the reason he stayed gone for so long, beyond his anger at Lucretia.
It isn't the dying that he really cares about, they've died so many times by now it's lost all meaning, he just can't stand the idea of being separated from Lup so soon after he found her again.]
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[She snuggles closer to him with a sigh.]
If you're... I'm coming with you. I'm never leaving you again.
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[It's the same thing, at the end of the day, except for how it only makes all this more complicated. He's not sure how any of this will work. The shield cut the bonds that was keeping the Hunger together, but he isn't sure if that means he's trapped on that plane with them, or if he's just... dead. If Lucretia died along with them, the spell would've been dropped.
And then there's Kravitz. Surely he won't leave Taako to just float in that stupid ghost lake.]
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[She nods, like it's all decided and not at all frightening the hell out of her.]
Heroes who save the world deserve a bit of leeway.
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[Taako isn't really sure what they are, and it's weird to consider everything that happened between them in those few hours before the world ended, because it doesn't feel like it happened to the version of him that's curled up in bed with Lup, right now.
And it's easier to focus on that, on whatever label he wants to put on his relationship with Kravitz than on literally anything else right now.]
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Laughing took the edge off.]
Ooh, really? Isn't he your darling dearest deadest?
[Teasing was a coping mechanism, too. Plus he kind of owed her after all the Barry teasing.]
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I'm filing for like, a sibling divorce. Is that a thing?
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[She lets go a little bit so she doesn't actually squish him and then pokes the tip of his nose.]
You just gotta deal with it. I mean, how many people do I know that dates Death? One! It's like a family thing now. Very necromantic.
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[If he can't argue the point, which he doesn't even want to anyway, he might as well roll with it.]
You think they need a cook in the astral plane? Maybe the Raven Queen needs like, her own personal fucking chef.
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[She makes a show of rolling her eyes really heavily - however, when Taako mentions cooking the the Astral Plane, Lup beams.]
Oh shit, that's a great idea. I mean, even if they don't have to eat over there maybe they'll enjoy the finest fucking food on any side of the planes.
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[Says Taako, who almost finished an entire bottle of the stuff before Kravitz even showed up.]
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[Death is a dork, apparently.]
I can't wait to meet him. [Beat.] ...wow that sounds kinda suicidal. Or teenage drama goth. 'Can't wait to meet death.'
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[When they met, which was a very good moment and in retrospect, one that he wishes he'd savored more as it happened.
But he hadn't known he was going to die. Suspected it, sure, but that's not the same as looking back.]
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[Winkwonk.]
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There's been no riding of any kind, thanks.
[He's a respectable elf.
Except not really.]
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Riiiiight.
[She gasps suddenly and slaps her hand against his chest (gently) in excitement.]
Fuck, the boner jokes I'm gonna make to him! It will be amazing.
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[It's only a fair trade. If he has to deal with the fact he's dating a ghost skeleton then he gets to be the one making boner jokers.]
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