week 1; taako (post-trial)

[paook]

[ when the trial has come and gone, miki is still in hell. that is to say she's in mcdonalds and getting some burgers because goddamn somehow that insanity made her famished. and when she spots taako, whether he's hanging out or leaving, she immediately calls out to him-- ]

HEY, COME HANG OUT WITH ME!

Comments

[chaoticlootral]

[WELL if she wants to hang that badly, who is Taako to deny a fan? Collecting his own insanity snack (just an insane amount of fries) and wandering over.]

What's up, bubale, need an autograph?

[paook]

No clue what a bubale is, and no. [ is he even a celebrity? ] I need someone to gossip with, and everyone else will just yell at me.

[chaoticlootral]

[Sighing deeply and sliding into a booth, stuffing more fries into his mouth. Not quite clear whether he's sulking about not being recognized for his obvious fame or the fact he'd definitely get yelled at too.]

Well, I for one have had more than enough friggin' yelling around here. 'Oooh, I'm a strong morally centered dude who would die for a stranger, look at me, I'm so self-sacrificing.' Bullshit!

[paook]

[ she plops into the booth across from him, slouching over the table. ]

God yeah. I don't buy it for a second. Like if that's how you feel, then how about you just do it?

[chaoticlootral]

[He'd consider offering her fries, but he knows Miki is a rich bitch. Therefore she gets none of his ill-gotten goods.]

Some people are, of course, terminally unable to handle one second of attention not being on themselves. The solution to that, of course, is being beautiful and charming, not a huge drama queen, as I've demonstrated in every part of my life.

[paook]

--Hah, yeah!

[ yeah she knows nothing about being highly insecure. absolutely nothing at all about that. ]

Though I dunno. I don't think it's that they intend to seek it out, but they just feel like they need to preach their stance and feel superior about it. "Oh, well I'm royalty and my life matters more than yours" - I defended Noctis and I wanted to sock him for that bullshit.

[chaoticlootral]

[yup no one has any insecurities at all here, none whatsoever]

Of course we all have important bullshit to get back to, and mine doesn’t even have to do with being, uh, born fancy. Personally, attempting to stop a Universe consuming entity that’s killed me, uh, about 7 or 8 times before, so, that’s fun.

[paook]

Is that why your profile so fucked up? [ fucking yikes. ] Man you might win the prize of "worse world" then. Mine... well. I'm pretty sure I don't have a world to go back to. And if there is, then it doesn't want me.

[ she bites into her burger and chews up the small piece, frustrated. ]

Ok, so, you died all those times. How do you... do that? Like seriously.

[chaoticlootral]

Sure, that and a few other things. Can't really say there's a trick to dying. Happens the same way to me as it does to everyone else, generally, except I came back. Unfortunately if you're hoping for, uh, tips to help you out here, don't think the same trick works. Involves some interdimensional travel and/or having an in with Death himself, a bridge I've apparently burnt.

[ He doesn't seem offended by the implication his situation is kinda crappy or his life is fucked up, just serenely smiling like he generally does, but he does drop the act a little when she mentions her own world.]

Uh, y'know, it isn't as if I came here from my original world. [Shrugging. He doesn't really have strong feelings about it.] It's gone too. Don't really miss it, can't say they'd miss me - or, they wouldn't, if they could have an opinion at all what with the whole aforementioned reality eating dickbag messing up their business. Suppose if you win, you could go wherever you wanted.

[paook]

No, I don't mean like, coming back and shit. I don't needs tips on how to win this broken game. I mean... the stress of it? It must be awful.

[ at least she thinks so. the thought of coming back to life, only to suffer and die again. nothing else can be so fucked up. but then she realizes that maybe he doesn't want to discuss that? ]

...Well. If you don't wanna talk about that, you can tell me where you'd like to go. Y'know, if you win and don't wanna go back to your shitty world.

[chaoticlootral]

You get used to it. [Dismissively, waving a hand. Apparently death has never been a big deal for him.] Or, uh, it's just one of those things that's happening to everyone around you, so it sorta feels normal, and then you get here and everyone is like, 'what the fuck, Taako, why'd you kick it so much?' and you realize, oh yeah, that shit's fucked and that doesn't actually happen to most people.

[Taking a sip of soda. Y'know, to move past the death talk.]

I think I have to go back? Got things to finish. . . . Magnus won't wanna splitsies either.

[paook]

[ that... sounds horrible. bad enough that now she feels awkward about even bringing it up, and so she'll take the cue to move on from it. there's no need to make people recount awful shit. ]

Going back even when it sounds awful? Better than what most people would say. [ herself included, really. ] But what does Magnus have to do with it?

[chaoticlootral]

Unfinished business. [Cool explanation.] We’re from the same place, you know. Uh, like originally too.

Whatever, whatever, what about you? If you make it out, where you gonna head? Some sort of beach world? Permenant island vacay?

[paook]

...Dunno. [ she deflates with a huff. easier to talk about other things than herself - dumb stupid shit is easy. ] If I'm totally honest? Not even sure how much I want to make it out. Other people probably deserve it more than me.

[ people like her best friend, who was much too good in a world that fell to hate. ]

[chaoticlootral]

[Giving her just. The flattest look. Before he drops it to snort-giggle instead, a little darkly. Sorry for laughing at your pain, Miki, but come on.]

Oh come on! Deserve it? What does deserve have to do with it? The, uh, the world is kind of a fucked up place, you know? If you don't scrape out your own rewards, tie your own boots, pat your own ass, no one else is gonna do it for you. Deserve doesn't mean crap. You earn it. You, uh, make yourself from nothing. If you want to live, then fuckin' fight tooth and nail for it. Screw these strangers.

[paook]

[ she doesn't say anything for a moment, stunned by the response, but soon she smirks and laughs a little. ]

You're really something Taako! Lucky you're saying all that to me, and not like I dunno? Makoto, or maybe Alex. [ basically anyone who has a properly working moral compass. ] You're not wrong, but I guess I don't know how much I deserve it considering how I died to begin with. Not even sure why I got selected out of so many to play. Shit's all out of whack here.

[chaoticlootral]

I'd tell them same thing. I'm not saying murder anyone, but at least have a spine, homie. Taako was born alone in this world, Taako made his way to the top, and Taako's not fuckin' dying here, capiche?

[Just shrugging. Taako's moral compass points to a different true north than others, sure, but he isn't really ashamed of that.]

Anyway no one really knows how you died - I mean, clearly, that's why I get so many questions. They don't have to know, the buncha Nosey Nellies. That's kinda between you and whatever deity you do or do not worship.

[paook]

It's on our profiles. Though, uh, I guess with yours and Magnus' I can see how you get those questions! Not everyone gets to die a dozen times... 'homie.'

[ said like it's a foreign language and she's just trying hard to be cool. ]

But you're right, I don't really care about how people died. Doesn't change that we're dead. And I think we have a lot more important things to worry about than prying into people's lives. Like how to find the Composer and kill them. That's the only asshole I really wanna murder here -- Reapers are just the servants way I see it.