#but nah i find spending my time with these random useless projects more fun~

[rotbtd-edits]

If Rotbtd was a classic RPG game (Part 2)

I really love to play around with pixels, so this time I created some fake screens based on my RotBTD series. You can tell I was heavily inspired by KH:CoM's beautiful pixel graphics :'3 [Characters by me, bgs from FF Pixel Remasters]

[fizzingwizard]

Alright, so, Digimon Adventure 2020 Episode 12: Castle in the Sky Laputa!

I mean, I, Guardromon...

... Bicentennialmon?

well, any of the three works :P

Right off the bat, I’ll say this ep gets a ‘meh’ from me, BUT I did love its aesthetic. I’m a big fan of robot stories, especially the Asimov variety. Scrap heap robots are my absolute favs. And I did like the Ghibli vibe going on too. The episode was pretty, and the robot characters were cool... it just wasn’t very fun. At the very least, I was expecting team Taichi/Koushirou/Mimi to be a bit more fun than Yamato/Sora/Jou, but I guess this ain’t 1999 anymore ;)

^The most amusing bit was finding out Koushirou’s laptop can fold like this... which, okay, shouldn’t surprise me, it just looks frigging weird...

me: DO YOU KNOW HOW TO USE A KEYBOARD???

koushirou: hush old lady, your first laptop was grayscale only and had Windows 3.1 installed.

Actual content relevant to the episode below...!

We had a promising start when last week’s episode ended on a cliffhanger... or a cliffdropper, I guess, because Mimi’s not hanging onto anything. She’s fallen down and landed on Palmon. Digimon can sure take a beating.

Palmon reaches to see if she can hoist them back up, but...

... it’s too high! Oh well, no choice but to travel on foot. Good thing Mimi landed on Palmon!

Meanwhile, above, Taichi and Koushirou turn to his computer for help. Unfortunately they have some technical difficulties.

Koushirou: Noooo, not the swirling of doom!! My immortal nemesis...

Even Taichi understands that buffering spells death. He’s a 21st century kid, so he’s a little more savvy about computers than 99 Taichi, whose trusty recourse in these situations was "treat the machine like a Bop-It.”

Mimi discovers they are in a Digimon scrap heap. ;_; Good heavens. Apparently robot Digimon are unlike organic (??) Digimon same as robots are different from humans, so the way they die is not quite the same either.

Mimi feels sorry for these trashed creatures. She’s no cold-hearted corporate goon who looks at these guys and just sees dollars. She notices the heart!

She also just wiped that rusty Guardromon’s helmet with her bare hand...

Mimi: Where’s Sora-san when I need a towel!!

Andromon makes his 2020 debut! And he’s just as much the pawn of evil as ever!

Boxing Cactus Go-go-go!!

Togemon gets her prickly hiney owned, but the Guardromon suddenly reanimates and protects her instead. His big strategy is “drop something heavy on Andromon and run away.” It’s super effective.

Who wants to translate the digicode, because I’m not gonna. Ten bucks says it’s something like “target human child exterminate” yadda yadda

When Koushirou’s computer fails, we must rely on our physical skills. Their big plan is “climb down the bottomless pit after Mimi.” There are a few things wrong with this picture:

1) Even if they know how deep the hole is, IT’S STILL QUITE A FALL. Make one wrong move and you’ll be useless to Mimi T_T And these idiots make plenty of wrong moves.

2) If there were handholds like these, why couldn’t Palmon have just grabbed them with her vines and carried Mimi up? Instead she was like, “Nah, can’t reach the top, let’s walk in a random direction and hope things work out!”

3) The Guardromon is taking Mimi to an elevator. Meaning there is a working elevator, meaning there is a way down that would significantly decrease their chances of DYING on the way. Koushirou’s computer can’t figure that out? Also I was expecting some hijinks there... like, they finally make it down only for Mimi to say “Why didn’t you just take the elevator like I did? Boys are weird.”

In his defense, Koushirou’s method of descent is worlds better than Taichi’s.

Hate to say I told you so...

Guardromon takes Mimi to some suspicious water which she uses to nurse Palmon... with a towel

Guardromon presents Sheeta Mimi with a flower to convey that he likes killing pretty delicate things :) run Mimi

The Laputa vibe... it is vibing.

We cut away to Yamato/Sora/Jou for thirty seconds just to point how much Better they’re doing than Taichi’s group. They’ve even realized how that basket was, who needs to put in all that work when we can all fit comfortably on a log! Sora and Yamato flirt. Jou’s going to be sick.

Taichi and Koushirou encounter some broken Solarmon who are being controlled by Soundbirdmon, so I guess it’s official now that we can’t believe any Digimon is truly evil if Soundbirdmon is around. Koushirou goes to help Mimi while Taichi stays behind to fend off these gears. Uh, is it just me or does this team seem very quick to split up.

I like the way Guardrmon cradles Mimi so all we can see is her shocked expression.

Guardromon tries his tried and true method of shooting down something heavy to crush Andromon...

... but Andromon’s like “hah! Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me!” and knocks it away. Not very effective...

Guardromon’s guarded his last mon... he starts to go... offline I guess...

In sweeps Kabuterimon to the rescue. In 99 Adventure, he’d have something witty to say, or at least a pun. 2020 Kabuterimon mostly likes to make weird noises. I understand why Agumon and Gabumon’s VA’s were calling him a “weirder uncle than ever” at Digifes...

Obligatory Best Boy cap

Hell Approacheth

Wow!!! Taichi finally got knocked off Greymon! He must have forgot to put on his suction cup shoes today!

So this entire episode, I was wondering what was to stop MetalGreymon from happening and stealing the show from Lillymon. I expected “Agumon just evolved recently and doesn’t have the juice to do it again so soon!” or some such. Nothing more than that. But, nah, we don’t even get that... MetalGreymon happens and he just... can’t... beat Andromon? For some reason? I’m going with “Because he’s Andromon.” Afterward, this very heavy structure falls down and MetalGreymon has lift it a la Atlas to keep Taichi from getting squished, so he can’t continue to beat on Andromon.

... Of course, Togemon gets stuck holding this thing up too... so there’s that...

The reason, of course, is so Guardromon can make one last action surge, grabbing Andromon’s leg, which works, randomly. At least for a moment.

Mimi spends most of this episode being Shocked.

Guardromon takes one final, grainy look at Mimi as he prepares for sweet death. The digicode says “Sheeta.” (kidding like I’d bother to translate it lol)

Andromon RUDELY stomps on his head. Like HELLO Andromon can you not see the dude is having a moment here? Show some respect!

Mimi sheds a Single Emo Tear

Which causes “Your sorrow made me evolve!” Lillymon. She immediately flies out to attack Andromon, leaving MetalGreymon alone holding the heavy metal structure, which promptly crushes him and our heroes. Game Over!

just kidding, the structure just vanishes I guess :/ It’s not very clear...

High kick attack!

It’s not very effective...

Lillymon does seem to have an ability that MetalGreymon doesn’t which cinches her victory over Andromon... her rain of petals interfere with his ability to lock on to a target. Too much organic matter everywhere I guess.

Lillymon covers Andromon in plants rendering him immobile...

... *cough*

Poor Mimi’s had a hard day of watching robots die.

Her affinity for marking graves returns as she leaves the flower Guardromon gave her on his corpse(?).

Taichi looks only sadly as Koushirou explains that Andromon and Guardromon were totes besties, until Soundbirdmon started mindcontrolling everyone. Gee that seems like something that could have been an interesting plot point had it been mentioned y’know earlier.

In sum... yeah, this ep just isn’t fun. There’s no friend moments, no getting to know each other, everything takes a backseat to this robot-protect-girl storyline. I really did like Guardromon, but the episode takes itself way too seriously in my opinion.

That aside... I was happy that Mimi’s episode didn’t involve stinky ugly Digimon falling in love and stalking her so she can passionately reject them. I can live without both of those things.

Mimi having the ability to project feelings onto supposedly nonfeeling things is a very Mimi-like character trait for her and one that I really truly love. It’ll definitely come in handy in the digital world where all is never how it seems. On the other hand, though, it’s not like it’s a trait we didn’t have already... it just belonged mainly to Hikari :P So... yeah.

Next week we’re going to get Garudamon, in a way that looks like it will pale compared to our first meeting with Garudamon in 99 Adventure, BUT that’s okay... because we’ve got plenty of time for the Big Important things to happen, both on a plot level and on a character development level. I am a little wtf??? about everyone getting not one but two evolutions within the same adventure - assuming the kids are going to go home at some point and finally put Tokyo out of its misery. I’d expected this show would be more like 02 with the kids jumping in and out, but tbh I’m not gonna be sad if they just stay in the digital world indefinitely. Also, it��s not like Taichi didn’t get both an evolution and a jogress the first time he came to the digital plane, so obviously things are just working differently in this show!

But as it’ll be a Sora episode, I just hope it’s an improvement on the last Sora episode. There’s plenty of potential following the mini tiff between her and Yamato last week, so i hope we see some follow up to that. Maybe a couple Sorato moments. We didn’t get anything for Taishiro this week :( But since it looks like probably next week the groups are still separated, perhaps the week after we’ll get MegaKabuterimon and see more interaction between Taichi and Koushirou then. *shrug* A girl can dream!

Anyway this ep gets 5.5/10 from me!

[lazcht]

Contemplations

...of aging, and the year of 2017

Hey, it’s been such a long time I haven’t write a long (and personal) blog so pardon my (even more) rusty writing skill--phrasings and poor vocabulary. 

Well. I’ve been thinking to share some of my thoughts to the internet concerning...age. 

26th of September is my birthday. Actually this is the last year I’ll be in 20s, haha. Lately (at least among my friends) it’s so familiar to hear “It feels like I was graduating school yesterday damn it.”

Is birthday really matter?

Nah it’s just a calendar--day, week, month, year, time system made by humans as a system to measure how long we’ve been here, on earth. I don’t feel really connect with the concept to celebrate anniversaries exactly by “time”. It works more as reminders, a trigger to notice myself to contemplate, evaluate, and plan. 

Should I be happy? Hmm. Celebration, eating fancy, wonderful wishes, surprises, gifts, are bonus. I might be taking them for granted actually, (I feel bad for that) but I kinda feel it’s not a necessary thing to have on a birthday. Though my birthdays have been so great since I was little, so in my mind, a birthday is always been a good and fun association. 

Except, when I was reaching 20... my anxiety about stuff arose, maybe this time is the same. I’m about to hit 3rd checkmark of 10 years of milestone. So it’s a lie if I say, that aging doesn’t matters at all.

I feel so grateful that I’m always surrounded with kind people who care about things I love, my well-being, or my future, or simply all people that accept my presence on their lives. So thank you for all wishes and gifts... Though I can’t promise anything in return.

Suddenly I remembered...

My mood was not really good lately. I’m thinking about lot of stuff. Frustrated, anxious, worried(?), and a little bit pessimistic. Why, I wonder?

I’ve been thinking, what’s the difference, and how I’ve been changing from 10 years ago; the teen me, to I am now. So here are my personal conflicts.

1. First of all, the easiest thing to notice, is my physical body. 

Back then, recovery was fast, good stamina, and a body that didn’t go sick although I didn’t put so much attention in it. I could ate stuff sloppily, hygiene doesn’t stop me from doing what I want, sleep deprivation didn’t matter as much, pollution didn’t really affect my respiratory system, bad posture didn’t get me strains or sores, lack of exercising also less punishing. Waking up motivated and energized.

Now... well, I’ve been trying to wake up not feeling bad, and go to sleep with a good posture so I don’t feel like shit the next day. 

Allergies such as dust, smoke, (my own) sweat, water (on my scalp) are easily triggered these days. I dunno if the environment here getting so much worse (well, it’s a capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta), or just my body can’t cope up with my old lifestyle.

After I get the feeling of living in a weak dying body previous years, being unproductive, unmotivated and low at energy, mood-swing, stressed and getting the feeling of “decaying”, having atrophic and useless muscles; I figured it was because I lack of self-care. I feel that can’t ignore this shit anymore, before it’s getting far too late.

2. Mindset & interests.

The more I think, I noticed maybe the biggest difference between me 10-20 years ago with me right now, is the optimism level LMAO.

In junior high school days, to 20+ ish, I kinda have faith that someday (perhaps in 5-10 years) I might be able to become famous, or having decent money flow. I felt that I was a genius compared to people my age, haha well I had a narrow social circle. As I grow older, things become difficult (actually prolly I was just underestimated lot of stuff back then?). Having more knowledge makes me think that I know nothing about this world, this industry I work in, about what’s work and what’s not, about this life.

I used to have strong feel of justice or moral compass that’s quite firm. I could really simply say that doing A is plainly wrong and doing B is absolutely right. As I grow older, learning so much stuff (from experience, or fiction stories I consume), knowing so much people with their insight from cultural, religion aspect, things are not as simple. I faced lot of turning point couple of years lately.

I used to have interest in drawings, my capability to draw something, but not about reading, or listening about things that inspire. My dream was to become an animator or comic artist, later on I was only interested in the drawing process, the result, but not the story. Maybe that’s why I’m comfortable in joining other’s project rather than doing my own.

I consumed things that only makes me able to create what people told me to, but not “nutrients” for my ability to conceptualize and inspire, to deliver message. In 7++ years of my career, I deliver nothing, just work, ego "masturbating”, fun and money. Not so long ago, I noticed I that I should change my direction. That I had to make impact, or at least, a lasting impression, stuff that people could think about. 

I focus less in technique, and think more about purpose, idea, vision. Things that only I, can deliver it (still looking). Things that are more personal and close to my identity.

3. Family condition.

Not only me that gets older. Parents, partner, sibling and other relatives are also getting old. Not to mention the economy and how industry, business trends flows by. 

Economically, my family is currently going downwards. Parent’s not as healthy as they were 5~10 years ago. Good thing they’re still lively, active, able-bodied to still go traveling actually. They simply can’t work continuously, hence eventually, incomes are scarcer. Bills getting higher each year, or even months. They don’t demand retirement (thanks to them), but I feel they’re thinking we (their children) are not ready to take full responsibility of paying all of household needs. But luckily enough, our family didn’t have any debt. Yet I could use steady income to cover us, as soon as possible.

Psychologically, parents are more into games now (I’m so glad lol), and they’re still quite sharp to pick out hoaxes though there are lot of random Whatsapp videos or articles they share with the old folks. Overall, still good but long term-wise, I’m quite pessimistic.

4. Spiritual side, ego, myself.

It’s getting harder to reach a clear mind nowadays, just a moment to meditate and let my mind sit calmly, silently. I guess I’m now getting even more drowned into the “Lazcht” ego. I feel the need to work hard, but only to serve the “me”. How about afterlife thoughts, awareness, mindfulness? I know I need more mind exercise, but there we are, too busy being involved into mundane stuff haha.

Love life, it’s hard to describe but now I feel like I can control better of my own possessiveness, to think that love is about giving, having a big heart, and letting go. Breakup? Nope, but as a formerly monogamous person, I’m currently having a polyamorous partner. We had been seeing the differences as our biggest obstacle on continuing the relationship, and I was trying to make myself adapt and change to compromise, but now, we decided to see and experience love with our own “style”. It works for now, tho, we don’t know for how long. :’)

Insecurity changed and taught me a lot of life lesson. Back then I’d never care much about my body image, upgrading wardrobe and so on. Lately I also feeling anxious again about my gender issue. The urge to transition (I’m a trans FYI) is getting stronger, but meh... I’m broke, so not now. :(

What do i do then?

1. Physical aspect: workout, regular outing, drink more water, body-awareness, and keeping good habit. 

Latest one is hardest, because of my zero-discipline. For people who has similar issue with mine, easiest way I find is to bathe regularly, at least once a day would make my day better. Maintaining room’s sanitary is also excellent method to wake up feeling great. Recently I bought an air purifier, vacuum regularly, and it worked nicely.

I once find using a scheduler app with fixed wake up time, eating, working, etc makes me feel better and content, then again it’s hard to keep it on long-term. 

2. Nutrients for brain: watch or read more interesting and recommended stuff, explore, make new friends or be in a new circle. 

I also feel that it’s necessary to learn languages, especially Japanese, I feel like someday I’ll really make use of them.

Probably planting is also a way to refresh mind and soul. I really hope to learn on cultivating vegetables, or just herbs if it’s easier haha.

3. Economy and family matter: can’t do much for this actually, except doing my best on my work and keeping healthy relationships. 

I really hope I can make them go travel somewhere else beautiful, since their mindset always like “we wouldn’t afford that much.” or “it’s not worth it.” well, perhaps they’re not into it but I just don’t want they can’t afford to spend money on something they love.

Hopefully I can find a good way to improve my economy without too much sacrificing important things.

4. Myself as me: I... just hope to improve, or perhaps become slightly more famous as an artist or gamedev person lol. Most of all, I just want to love myself more, and be content with my own self. Also hopefully I’ll become more useful to others, on anything. I wish I can optimize myself because... too much burnout (physical or social). If anyone notice that sometimes I don’t appear anywhere or rarely seen, that’s not necessarily that I hate being with you guys, mostly it’s because I need my space and time.

Ideally, I want to go to more convention events, overseas, selling my own stuff (or with circle), get in touch with amazing people. Or simply maintain good relations with people around me (not just physically ofc) right now. You guys are good friends. 

Okay that’s enough, I think I can count this as my prayer because I don’t usually “pray”. Forgive me for my wrongdoing (or let me know?) and thanks for being here with me. May universe get along well with everyone and hear our wishes! :)

~Lazcht, 29 Y.O.

[kalicofox]

gdi @aquatariuswriter THIS IS ENTIRELY YOUR FAULT AND I’M REALLY HAPPY ABOUT IT OKAY?

"So what are we doing?" Angus asked, taking a few steps ahead of the group so that he could spin around and walk backwards, watching Taako, Magnus, and Merle curiously as they headed deeper into one of the many forests near Neverwinter.

"I told you already," Merle growled, rolling his eyes, "I gotta spend some time out in the wilds or Pan gets pissed."

"I want some more wood for carving." Magnus shrugged, hefting Railsplitter to a slightly more comfortable position on his shoulder.

Taako just shrugged. "It's not like I had anything better to do," he said simply, "we can do magic lessons just as well out here as in the cafeteria." He paused for a moment, finger tapping idly at his lower lip. "Actually, with how much Lucretia's been bitching at me about structural damage, probably better. Wanna learn Magic Missile today?"

Angus gaped at him, then grinned broadly and spun back around to bounce a little ways down the road. "Do I ever!"

"Just make sure you keep that shit well clear of me," Merle warned, narrowing his eyes warningly at the elven wizard, who waved him off.

"Don't worry about it. I doubt he'll get it right off the bat."

Angus' face fell, but the next moment he was distracted as Magnus squinted further down the road.

"Hey, there's someone coming!"

"So?"

"So whoever it is is running really fast..."

Taako's gaze sharpened and the umbrastaff swirled through the air once, then twice as he limbered up his wrists. "Can you see what they're running from?"

Magnus shrugged, shifting his grip on his axe. "Not yet."

Merle faded over to one side, just off the road and seemingly ready to either hide, or cast, depending on what the situation called for.

"Angus," Taako called quietly, "get off the road."

"Yessir." Angus scrambled for cover and Taako strode forward to stand casually in front of the bush his pupil ended up in, his face schooled to casual interest just as the runner panted up to them.

"Hail and well met!" Magnus called cheerily, lifting his hand in greeting.

"Help," the man panted, glancing wildly back down the road, "you gotta help me, there's a maniac with a scythe trying to kill me!"

"Oh wow," Taako said, his eyebrows shooting up, "that sounds serious my dude!"

"It is!" the man agreed, darting more worried looks back the way he'd come.

"Why's someone trying to kill you?" Magnus asked, settling himself a little more firmly in the road and following his gaze down the road.

"I don't know!" He yelped, "He just showed up! In my house! And started waving around a scythe, so I booked it outta there!"

Taako nodded sagely, "Sound strategy. It's always a good idea to find out why someone is trying to kill you."

Something flickered at the corner of his vision, and Taako whipped around just in time to see someone tall, thin, and swathed in an enormous cloak, step out of a rip in thin air.

"Kravitz!?"

It wasn't a yelp, but it wasn't far off, and the figure paused. One hand, growing flesh as it went, reached up and pushed back the hood of the cloak back to reveal the dark skin and dreadlocks of the grim reaper.

"Taako? What are you doing here?" The cockney accent was enough to make Taako grin, remembering what Kravitz had said about a 'work voice', and he relaxed, planting the tip of his umbrastaff on the ground and leaning on it.

"Not much, my dude." he said casually, "Just heading out for some forest related fun. You?"

"Chasing a bounty," Kravitz said, nodding at the rapidly paling man, "so Magnus, if you'd be so kind as to-"

"Oh fuck this!" the man snarled, and lunged for Taako.

It barely took a half step and a twist to get out of the way, but as soon as he dodged Taako's blood turned to ice and he whirled, trying to intercept.

It was too late.

The man was straightening up, one of Angus's thin wrists clasped in his fist as the other hand fumbled a knife out of his belt. Angus struggled, trying to kick the larger human in the shins and clawing at the hand around his wrist, but it was useless.

"Right." the man said, obviously forcing himself calm as he dragged Angus close enough that he could put the knife at his throat. "not quite what I was hoping for, but you'll have to do."

"Angus!" Mangus yelped, and took half a step forward before freezing, his face agonized as the knife pressed harder against Angus's throat.

"None of that," the man rasped, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "all of you are gonna listen to me and do exactly what I say if you want the kid to live." He glanced down consideringly, then half shrugged, "not sure why you'd want that, but eh, whatever floats your boat. Now. You. Guy in the bushes. Come out on the road."

For a moment, nothing happened, then Merle crashed through the brush, his face thunderous as his fists clenched and unclenched at his sides.

"Now, all of you are gonna put your weapons down, niiice and slow."

For a moment, every single one of them hesitated, each desperately trying to think of some way they could get at the man without hurting Angus in the process.

It wasn't until Taako's umbrastaff clattered to the ground that Merle followed suit with his warhammer, and Magnus reluctantly laid Railsplitter down.

Kravitz held out a moment longer, but bared teeth and a tiny trickle of blood from where the knife had started to cut Angus made him toss his scythe to the ground in a hurry, his humanity starting to flicker with his anger.

"Now, Reaper," the man snapped, "leave. Get lost."

Golden eyes darted in Taako's direction and met another pair, equally as gold, then Kravitz growled, a low bestial noise, and reached out, tearing a hole in space that sealed the instant he stepped through it.

"So." Taako drawled, a thread of icy rage tracing through his casual tone, "Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"I am Sebastian Brunswick!" The man said proudly, "And soon, I will be the Lord of these surrounding lands!"

Taako nodded easily, fixing Magnus with a glare when the fighter looked like he was going to try to sneak up on Sebastian from behind. "Cool, cool. So how's it working out for you? I hear there's good money in Lording."

"Of course there is!" Sebastion snapped, "And it's going fine, or at least it was, before that blasted Reaper had to come along and ruin all of my preparations."

Taako nodded again, pursing his lips thoughtfully. "I don't suppose those preparations have anything to do with necromancy?" he asked and stiffened when Angus yelped as Sebastian dug the knife in a little harder.

"How did you know?" He demanded, "Who told you??"

"Nobody, my man!" Taako exclaimed, and forced a friendly smile onto his face. "Nah, I'm a wizard too. Had a bit of a run in with that same Reaper a few months ago, and I've been looking for something that might get rid of him so I can get back to doing my own thing in peace."

Sebastian's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and Taako did his best to look like a harmless necromancer.

It must have worked, because Sebastian didn't call bullshit, instead just drawing himself up the best he could and sniffing derisively. "I'm not a wizard, I'm a warlock."

"My bad." Taako grinned sheepishly, then paused. "Hey, random thought. You're wanting to get away, right?"

"Obviously," Sebastian replied, his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Right, right." Taako continued airily, "But like, you've got the kid, and well, it's not like he's a really athletic kid, y'know? Plus he's got those short, stubby legs. Honestly, he's probably gonna slow you down a whole hell of a lot."

Merle shifted, his hands half raising before Magnus nudged him hard in the shoulder with his fist, his eyes fixed on Taako and Sebastian, waiting for something, anything that would give him the opening he desperately wanted. Taako, meanwhile, took a careful, casual step forward, still keeping his hands in plain sight.

"But me," he said, "I'm a wizard. I can summon you a mount, and if you take me with you, I can help you out with your little project, y'know? I mean, I don't know about you, but I could always use that little bit of extra power when I'm working on those big, long term projects."

He took another step, freezing when Sebastian tensed and Angus whimpered.

"And what's to stop you from blasting me the second I let go of the kid?"  Sebastian demanded, and Taako shrugged.

"Well I don't have my wand," he offered, and Sebastian scoffed. "No really!" Taako said, "The kid has it. I was gonna teach him a couple of parlor tricks. It's on a lanyard around his neck."

For a moment, Sebastian just glared suspiciously at Taako, then he dropped his gaze and, using his knife hand, pulled the lanyard out from under Angus's shirt.

Magnus tensed, ready to tackle the necromancer, but a sharp look from Taako made him still, gritting his teeth as Sebastian roughly pulled the lanyard over Angus's head and, one handed, snapped the wand in half.

"No magic." Sebastian declared. "Not until we're well out of the way. You'll come with me if I leave the kid here? No trouble?"

"No trouble," Taako agreed peaceably, "Hell, I'll even let you tie me up, if that'll help."

For a moment Sebastian just looked at him, his face inscrutable.

"Please don't, sir." Angus whispered, his voice barely audible.

Sebastian's grip on his arm tightened, and Angus yelped, falling silent as Taako's face blanked.

"Angus, shut the hell up. This doesn't fuckin' concern you, you got me?" He turned his attention back to Sebastian. "It's a decent deal," he said, and now his tone was brisk. Businesslike. "You get rid of some useless deadweight, and you get someone who can not only keep up, but who can help you out."

One more step took him within arm's reach, and for a moment Sebastian wavered, then, in a flurry of movement, he flung Angus toward Magnus and whirled on Taako, grabbing his throat in a white knuckled hand and dragging him closer.

"Deal." He hissed.

"Mister Taaco!" Angus wailed, struggling futilely against Magnus's hold on him as Taako's lips tipped up in a crooked smile.

"Wait, kid." Merle muttered, grabbing Angus's shoulder and shaking him roughly, "Shut up and wait."

The three of them watched, tense and silent as Sebastian, his grip tight around Taako's throat, retreated into the forest, ducking around tree after tree, and only after they're completely out of sight did Magnus and Merle release Angus.

Taako waited until he couldn't hear Angus's wailing any more, then he jerked to a halt, forcing Sebastian to pause and turn to look at him.

"What?" he demanded, and Taako smiled. It wasn't a nice smile.

"You fucked up." He croaked.

Sebastian had been cutting off most of his air, but if there was one thing Taako's good at, it's pissing people off with as few words as possible. This situation was just another chance for him to prove it.

Sebastian's eyes widened, then narrowed. "What?"

"You. Fucked. Up." Taako rasped again, and choked when Sebastian's fingers tightened around his windpipe.

"And how," he demanded, "did I fuck up? As far as I can tell, I'm in the fucking clear."

He punctuated his sentences by shaking Taako around, and Taako bared his teeth in what could only charitably be called a grin.

Black spots were starting to dance in his vision. He had to finish this fast.

"You." he choked out, and Sebastian paused, loosening his hold just enough for Taako to get a little more air. "You touched my kid."

And Taako moved, fast as a striking snake and twice as vicious despite the lack of oxygen making his head swim.

Sebastian's fingers seized around Taako's throat, then fell away as he clutched at his own, and blood poured from between the man's fingers as he tried to hold together the ruins of his throat.

Taako gasped for air. Straightened. Stared into the wide, horrified eyes of the necromancer.

He said nothing as the blood on his hand cooled and turned tacky, and he didn't look away until a soft sound, almost like paper being torn a room or two away, reached his ears.

"I wasn't expecting that." Kravitz admitted, looking down at the dead man laying in a pool of his own blood in the leaf litter.

"Yeah, well." Taako rasped, his voice as harsh as a raven's, "Asshole had it coming."

"That he did." Kravitz agreed, and stooped, gathering something small and bright and intangible out of the corpse. "Sorry for all the trouble."

Taako waved him off. "Don't worry about it. If you really wanna pay me back you can stop by later and give me a massage or something."

Kravitz huffed a soft laugh and reached out."I think that could be arranged." He agreed over the sound of a portal tearing into existence, and a moment later, Taako was alone.

It wasn't hard to backtrack the way they'd come; Sebastian hadn't been trying to hide their trail, but Taako kept having to stop for breath, coughing and gasping through his abused throat until he could breath properly again, and it took him longer than he would have liked to get back to where Magnus, Merle, and Angus were arguing over whether they should have gone after him or not.

"Mister Taaco!"

Angus spotted him first, and it was only when his eyes got wide and the blood drained from his face that Taako realized that he'd forgotten his own state. That is, he'd forgotten that he was absolutely covered in blood.

"Fuck, sorry." he rasped, and glanced around, looking for where he'd dropped the umbrastaff.

There wasn't enough Prestidigitation in the world to get all the blood out of his clothes, but he'd at least be able to get it off of his face and hands, and maybe then Angus would stop looking like he was about to keel over.

"Taako, are you all right?" Magnus's voice was as serious as it ever got, and Taako nodded, swooping up the umbrella and promptly proving himself a liar when he wobbled and nearly fell over.

A large hand, warm and firm steadied him, and Taako took the support for a moment, then glared at Magnus.

"I'm fine." Forcing the words out of his abused throat made him want to cough, but he ruthlessly supressed the urge. "None of this is mine. Asshole's dead. I'm heading back."

Magnus glanced over at Merle, who rolled his eyes, then nodded and vanished back the way Taako had come, grumbling under his breath.

"We called for a bubble once you were out of sight," Magnus told him, "It should be here soon. We were just going to send Angus back while we went to look for you, but I think I'm done for the day too."

Taako smiled crookedly, then glanced sideways at Angus.

"You good, Agnes?" he croaked, and to his absolute horror tears started pouring down Angus's cheeks.

"Angus? Angus what's wrong? Are you hurt anywhere?" Magnus's voice was a hair away from panicked, and Taako snapped off a series of spells that scoured the blood from his face and hands then reached for the crying boy.

"No sirs," Angus managed, "I'm okay, I promise." He sniffled, taking a deep breath as Taako tilted his chin up so that he could look at the thin cut, then let it out slowly.

It turned into a sob halfway out, and Taako froze when thin arms were flung around his neck.

"I was so scared," Angus wailed, clinging to him despite the blood soaking his shirt, "I thought that he was going to kill you, or that we wouldn't find you and then we'd never see you again, and Mister Taaco you have to promise that you'll never do that again because that was the worst thing that has ever happened and I've been taken hostage a lot."

Cautiously, Taako patted Angus on the back, trying to keep from getting the kid any more filthy than he already was, and looking helplessly at Magnus for backup.

Magnus, however, was no help at all, grinning sheepishly at Taako as he raised his hands and took a couple of steps backwards.

All Taako could do was shift a little, crouching so that Angus didn't have to stretch as far and making soothing noises as the ten year old sobbed into his neck.

In the end, it was Merle who saved him, crashing back through the undergrowth and back onto the road, and rolling his eyes when he saw the barely contained panic on Taako's face.

"All right Dangus." He growled, stomping over to them and prying Angus away from Taako, "That's enough. You're making a fucking mess, and the bubble's already here, so let's go."

For a moment it looked like Angus was going to attach himself to Merle, whose scowl deepened. "Magnus, look after the brat, will you?"

He spun Angus toward Magnus, who caught him, and, after a brief moment of uncertainty, scooped him up in one arm.

Sure enough, the bubble was waiting for them a little ways down the road, and by the time they were halfway back to the base, Angus's tears had all but dried up and he was drowsing against Magnus's shoulder.

"I found the body." Merle said quietly, "How'd you do it?"

Taako flinched, then sighed, glancing at Angus before turning his attention back to the dwarf and flicking his fingers in an odd pattern.

A subdued light gleamed at his fingertips for a moment, then vanished, and Taako started chipping away at the nail polish on one hand. Flecks of blue varnish fell to the floor, revealing a metalic shine underneath that Taako silently held out for Merle to inspect.

"Metal? You transmuted your nails?"

"Yeah," Taako said quietly, "it's a trick I picked up a while back when I was messing around with self transmutation. They get hella sharp, so I figured it was a good trick to have, just in case."

Merle nodded slowly, releasing Taako's hand and leaning back in contemplative silence. "That was good work." he finally said, "I made sure that nobody would find him. The plants in the area were happy for the meal."

Taako smiled wryly, "Ba-da-da-Da-da?"

Merle snorted. "Yeah, they're lovin' it."

The rest of the trip back was spent in silence, and although Avi took one look at them and opened his mouth to demand to know what the hell had happened, a single quelling glance from Magnus was all it took for him to shut his mouth with a sharp snap.

The four of them were lucky. They didn't run into anyone they knew well on the way down to their apartment, which meant that they had no qualms at all in glaring daggers at anyone who so much as looked like they wanted to ask what had happened. Not that many people did. Apparently being covered in blood and looking like you would cheerfully murder the next person to look at you wrong did a lot to convince people to leave you alone.

They made it to their apartment in almost record time, and as soon as the door was shut behind them, Taako bee-lined for the shower.

He stayed in the hot water until the steam was so thick he almost couldn't breathe, and didn't bother to get dressed when he got out. Instead, he dried off and wrapped himself in the nicest bathrobe he owned, then padded back out to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of wine, and popped the cork.

One by one the others showered and changed, then migrated out to the living room, and Taako ended up sandwiched between Magnus and the arm of the couch, with Angus sprawled out across their laps under a thick, fluffy blanket.

"He's already out?" Magnus asked, peering over at Angus's face, and Taako nodded.

"Yeah. Boychik's had a shit day. I'm not surprised he passed out as soon as he was clean."

"Yeah." Magnus's voice was soft, and Taako studiously didn't look at him, taking another slug from the bottle of wine, then offering it over to Magnus, who pulled deeply from it, then offered it to Merle.

For a while the three of them passed the bottle around, not talking, just sitting there, each lost in their own thoughts.

"You promised you'd never do that again." Merle said eventually, peering over at Taako from beneath bushy eyebrows.

Taako sneered at him, raising one of his own as he took another pull from the bottle.

"I lied."

Something oddly satisfied flashed across Merle's face, there and gone too quickly for Taako to identify.

"I know."