[Just nodding, nodding, since he doesn't have to explain that part of the story, it makes it easier.]
. . . Alright.
Once upon a time, during one the cycles in the century we were chasing the Light - and if you don't know about that, guess I'll just tell that weirdass story later - Lup comes up to me and tells me out of the blue that she wants me to, uh, give her a perfect day. Surprise her with it.
So, I figure like any twin promise, obviously I'm gonna do that shit. Partially 'cause, y'know, a perfect day for Lup is probably a pretty good one for your old pal Taako too. I mean, I get to be the boss for the day as well. So, I do it. One day I wake her up, surprise her, first round is, uh, double carb breakfast. It's waffles, it's pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs done the right way, mimosas. It's getting to go back to sleep after breakfast, because that fucking rules. Round two, we go shoot everyone else on the team with water guns, because, hilarious, and sometimes they scream like little girls. Round three, blow up a DMV. Obviously, huge hit. Ruled so hard.
Last bit was, uh, her favorite meal. Used to make this for her birthday-- [youre twins? you have the same birthday? hello?] it's, uh, a roast turkey. Takes forever, you know. Gotta brine it three days ahead of time, so you know I was totally prepared. And then the bottle of Fantasy Grey Goose, because I don't cheap on the perfect day.
Um. Then she tells me,-- Well.
She doesn't tell me at first. She makes me promise not to freak out. And when someone tells you to not freak out, what's the first thing you do? It's totally freak out, right? Hah. I'm pretty good at hiding it, because I'm cool and all, but. Yeah.
Anyway, she tells me her and Barry - . . . I guess she's forgotten him, huh? Well. Her and Barry, they're gonna do this thing. They're gonna become liches. And I don't know if she told you this part, but the thing about becoming a lich is that it's super fucking dangerous? You can lose your mind. Not just your body, but yourself too. You aren't a person anymore. Just a thing, filled with power, unless you can anchor to a memory. A really good memory. And she wanted me to make that for her.
[His hand is at the end of his braid, toying around it, looking at the ground.]
She's-- it went well, you know? Obviously. Since she's still around, totally sane and stuff. But I can't remember another time I was quite that scared.
he listens quietly, enraptured to the whole story. he listens to it, and he holds onto it. a perfect day for lup, and the reason behind it. he thinks about the way in which that perfect day that is the anchor for her life is also one of the scariest parts of taako's. none of the scary parts seem to surprise him - so it looks like he'd heard already.
and by the end of it, he looks at the hand at the end of taako's braid and - reaches out. with just the tips of fingers, he brushes against the back of taako's hand.]
.... she told me.
[he'll begin with that.]
She told me - that if she were to lose a certain memory, she could lose control of herself. I had guessed that it involved you but... thank you, for letting me know exactly what that memory was. For giving me an idea of all that you mean to each other.
[ . . . ]
I'm here - for the both of you. Together, apart. Your happiness matters to me, so I hope... if you're scared, you'll let me know. So I can help.
[He doesn't seem surprised she told him - if anything it's a bit of a relief to not be the bearer of this alone? He doesn't pull away when he's touched or anything, but he does squeeze his braid tighter for a second.]
She said that, uh, I'm her whole heart. And she's mine too? It's-- I wasn't a whole person, without her.
[But he he holds a finger up to his lips in a shushing motion.]
Yooooou wanna hear the secret part though? The part that, uh, if I do forget, you're not gonna tell me back, alright?
As we both know, you would win easily at the moment, so I will not take my chances.
[ . . . but
he'll listen to that and then he'll move to get up along with taako, just so that he doesn't have to feel like he's alone in just about. anything. right now.]
.... is there a reason why you can't ask her? Are you afraid of her answer?
[Despite the very serious bomb he just dropped, he seems to brighten up again after a moment.]
Besides, I know what the answer is. And I also get it? I can't be the asshole brother that tries to pick at that stupid scab. I kinda need her to be that person that's better and stronger than me?
Is the answer that she couldn't take the risk with you, even though she could take a risk with herself? That she cherished you even more than her own well-being?
[if
soo-won could take a stab at the reasoning, he'd guess it's that]
.... I still think that you are a very impressive person, Taako.
[Though, of course, doesn't that imply the inverse is also true? That some part of her didn't believe he was strong enough to make it.
Swishing the end of his hair now at that.]
No duh, homie. Say some shit I don't know. Hey, uh-- thanks for, y'know. Letting me verbal diarrhea all this. Guess I really do you owe you some meals.
You're welcome - and while I won't say no to your cooking, I do mean it when I say that I like knowing about you, and holding onto your memories for you.
That in and of itself is a pleasure.
[a beat]
Even though I really want to have your cooking, too.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
an actual real laugh at that, taking another drag.]
Fair enough, I guess, but I'm picking the menu.
no subject
[and he looks perfectly pleased]
Will you cook me your favorites?
no subject
I can make you Lup's favorites?
no subject
... but I wanted to know yours...
[you just agreed to taako setting the menu]
no subject
[JUST. GIGGLING AT HIMSELF? Sad. It fades off after a second though, and he stubs out the joint and shoves it in his pocket for later.]
Hey, did I ever give you that story?
no subject
[but soo-won doesn't move to get up, instead just apparently enraptured with taako's words]
I don't think you did - do I get it now?
no subject
He may be a little high.]
Yeah, but this one's really important, so I'm like, putting it in the bank for later. Just in case. So you can't forget it, alright?
no subject
leans into the touch helpfully like an idiot]
Mm. I won't, I swear it.
no subject
Mm, did Lup tell you that she's dead? Or, well, undead.
no subject
otherwise he just looks like he's listening]
Yes, she did.
no subject
. . . Alright.
Once upon a time, during one the cycles in the century we were chasing the Light - and if you don't know about that, guess I'll just tell that weirdass story later - Lup comes up to me and tells me out of the blue that she wants me to, uh, give her a perfect day. Surprise her with it.
So, I figure like any twin promise, obviously I'm gonna do that shit. Partially 'cause, y'know, a perfect day for Lup is probably a pretty good one for your old pal Taako too. I mean, I get to be the boss for the day as well. So, I do it. One day I wake her up, surprise her, first round is, uh, double carb breakfast. It's waffles, it's pancakes, bacon, scrambled eggs done the right way, mimosas. It's getting to go back to sleep after breakfast, because that fucking rules. Round two, we go shoot everyone else on the team with water guns, because, hilarious, and sometimes they scream like little girls. Round three, blow up a DMV. Obviously, huge hit. Ruled so hard.
Last bit was, uh, her favorite meal. Used to make this for her birthday-- [youre twins? you have the same birthday? hello?] it's, uh, a roast turkey. Takes forever, you know. Gotta brine it three days ahead of time, so you know I was totally prepared. And then the bottle of Fantasy Grey Goose, because I don't cheap on the perfect day.
Um. Then she tells me,-- Well.
She doesn't tell me at first. She makes me promise not to freak out. And when someone tells you to not freak out, what's the first thing you do? It's totally freak out, right? Hah. I'm pretty good at hiding it, because I'm cool and all, but. Yeah.
Anyway, she tells me her and Barry - . . . I guess she's forgotten him, huh? Well. Her and Barry, they're gonna do this thing. They're gonna become liches. And I don't know if she told you this part, but the thing about becoming a lich is that it's super fucking dangerous? You can lose your mind. Not just your body, but yourself too. You aren't a person anymore. Just a thing, filled with power, unless you can anchor to a memory. A really good memory. And she wanted me to make that for her.
[His hand is at the end of his braid, toying around it, looking at the ground.]
She's-- it went well, you know? Obviously. Since she's still around, totally sane and stuff. But I can't remember another time I was quite that scared.
no subject
he listens quietly, enraptured to the whole story. he listens to it, and he holds onto it. a perfect day for lup, and the reason behind it. he thinks about the way in which that perfect day that is the anchor for her life is also one of the scariest parts of taako's. none of the scary parts seem to surprise him - so it looks like he'd heard already.
and by the end of it, he looks at the hand at the end of taako's braid and - reaches out. with just the tips of fingers, he brushes against the back of taako's hand.]
.... she told me.
[he'll begin with that.]
She told me - that if she were to lose a certain memory, she could lose control of herself. I had guessed that it involved you but... thank you, for letting me know exactly what that memory was. For giving me an idea of all that you mean to each other.
[ . . . ]
I'm here - for the both of you. Together, apart. Your happiness matters to me, so I hope... if you're scared, you'll let me know. So I can help.
no subject
She said that, uh, I'm her whole heart. And she's mine too? It's-- I wasn't a whole person, without her.
[But he he holds a finger up to his lips in a shushing motion.]
Yooooou wanna hear the secret part though? The part that, uh, if I do forget, you're not gonna tell me back, alright?
no subject
Mm. I'll hold your secret, Taako.
no subject
[He . . . he gets up, brushing his clothes off, straightening out his hair.]
. . . I guess I can't stop thinking lately, uh. Why didn't she ask me?
[His hands twist together.]
Why didn't she ask me if I'd become a lich with her?
no subject
[ . . . but
he'll listen to that and then he'll move to get up along with taako, just so that he doesn't have to feel like he's alone in just about. anything. right now.]
.... is there a reason why you can't ask her? Are you afraid of her answer?
no subject
[Despite the very serious bomb he just dropped, he seems to brighten up again after a moment.]
Besides, I know what the answer is. And I also get it? I can't be the asshole brother that tries to pick at that stupid scab. I kinda need her to be that person that's better and stronger than me?
no subject
Is the answer that she couldn't take the risk with you, even though she could take a risk with herself? That she cherished you even more than her own well-being?
[if
soo-won could take a stab at the reasoning, he'd guess it's that]
.... I still think that you are a very impressive person, Taako.
no subject
[Though, of course, doesn't that imply the inverse is also true? That some part of her didn't believe he was strong enough to make it.
Swishing the end of his hair now at that.]
No duh, homie. Say some shit I don't know. Hey, uh-- thanks for, y'know. Letting me verbal diarrhea all this. Guess I really do you owe you some meals.
no subject
You're welcome - and while I won't say no to your cooking, I do mean it when I say that I like knowing about you, and holding onto your memories for you.
That in and of itself is a pleasure.
[a beat]
Even though I really want to have your cooking, too.
no subject
[wow!]
no subject
but
that does surprise a laugh out of soo-won, a sincerely amused noise despite the day they had
so that's something]
Oh my... My expectations only continue to climb.
no subject
[Making a short salute before he turns to head on out, sweeping off very rudely before soo-won can even say much of anything more.]
no subject
Wait, let me at least escort you back!
[but he'll toddle off to follow very high taako and deliver him back to lup]