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nad-zeta · 4 years

Note

hope im writing right;; match-up for ikesen, please? im a libra (scorpio moon, virgo venus) who prefer to be in hufflepuff. so, im an optimistic person with black humour and head half in the cloud. love make art but cant sing because my voice is really bad, ugh. sometimes i can literally disappear to find a balance in my emotions, because i dont wanna bother my friends. if i was in game, id be a wandering warrior with some kind of wind magic. im really interested in your work, wish you luck uwu

Hi, there love! Thank you so much for the request! I hope you have a good day today and I hope u enjoy the matchup!

So I match you with.................. Kennyo

So at first, I matched you with Mitsunari, lol I even wrote a whole matchup but then last minute changed my mind ^_^

The first time you meet Kennyo was when you literally ran into him in the forest in an attempt to get away from Nobunaga and his crew. You ran as fast as your legs could carry you. Only to slam into what felt like a brick wall; you stumbled backward, and before you hit the ground, two strong arms gently cradled you and brought you back to an upright position. You were out of breath and your eyes darting everywhere. You were on high alert. Kennyo softly traced the lines on your face to try and calm you down, almost like you would a kitten. You looked into those smoky grey eyes staring at you with concern. You managed to calm down a little and whispered a small thank you. You heard the sound of horses running in the distance, and you knew they were now chasing you. You took one last look at the man before scurrying off again.

The Oda’s weren’t all that bad, your first impression of the strange lot may have been a bit hasty, as you have actually come to enjoy this mixed bag of characters. Although they were somewhat overwhelming at times. Especially today. Your emotions were all over the place, and you felt like you needed to get away and find your balance again. You told Hideyoshi that you were going to walk around the garden to clear your head. You walked the vast garden route, head entirely in the clouds. You were wandering around aimlessly. You had found an overgrown path leading you further away from the castle. You couldn’t help but smile and think about Robert Frost's poem “The Road Not Taken.” You wondered down the road taking in the beautiful scenery all around you

You spotted a small injured cat on your path; the poor thing looked like a stray that lost a battle for food with the other wild animals in the area. You crouched down to get a better look while looking around for some help. You signed; the cat would have to hang on until you were back at the castle so that Ieyasu could tend to it. Your kind of like the idea of having the poor thing as a pet. Just then, a big bear of a man appeared. You were slightly started and fell back to land on your rear. The monk peered into your eyes. “Are you okay young miss, it wasn’t my intention to frighten you.” You looked up at him and smiled. You examined his face; he had a big scar stretching across it. You could see he had gone through many a struggle in his life, yet he had a sense of calm kindness about him. He crouched down and examined the cat. Of course, you scooted closer and explained you were planning to take the little guy back and care for it. Kennyo then reached in his sleeve and pulled out some medical supplies and started treating the cat in front of you. You watched his skilled hands apply salve to the wounds and wrap them up good as new. He then looked back up at you and tried to give you his scariest face. “Run along back home, little miss, and never forget demons roam these woods at night.” You picked up the little cat, thanked him, and started running back home, you stopped halfway and looked back to take one quick glance only to see no one there.

You had been missing for hours, and the sun was now dipping below the horizon, mama Yoshi was frantically searching the garden for you. When all of a sudden, you reappeared from the tree lines carrying the little cat. Hideyoshi breathed a sigh of relief and gave you a small lecture. Everyone accepted your new little pet with open arms. The kitten was treated like royalty, Masamune cooked for it, Ieyasu gave you medical supplies to care for it, Mitsuhide gave you a small collar with an attached bell, and Mitsunari and Hideyoshi gave the little kitten the softest fluffiest bed to sleep in. And of course, Nobunaga didn’t forget to spoil his luck charms new kitten; he too brought the kitten some toys to keep it entertained. At times you couldn't help but let your mind wander back to the monk that had helped you. After all, it was thanks to him treating the little cat on the spot that it managed to survive your trip back home.

The next day you left again to wonder the same path, secretly hoping to run into the monk once more to thank him and show off how well the little kitten was doing. That’s when all of a sudden, your kitten jumped out of your arms and started running in some random direction. You chased him curious to see where it was leading you to. You stopped when a small cabin came into view. You slowly made you way up to the door; your little kitten was now scratching at the door as if to try and open it. The door swung open, and you locked eyes with the very man you were looking for. He was shocked. What were you doing here, and how did you even find his hideout? He tried to scare you off to no avail; you low key though he was just joking. You did have a slightly dark sense of humor, so the more he tried to intimidate you, the darker your jokes got. Just who the hell was this woman. Eventually, he relented and let you into his little home.

You sat down and made yourself at home. Kennyo offered you some tea and rice pudding. You graciously accepted hearing him say something under his breath about how hopelessly optimistic and naïve you were. You couldn’t help but smile at this strange monk. The two of you leisurely sat and chatted. You were surprised at all the different types of animals he cared for, each looking like they had seen better days. Even your kitten had made a new friend with Kennyo’s every own grey cat. Kennyo couldn’t figure out why he was so attracted to you, why he had invited you into his home, and why on earth he had offered you tea. He was a monster, and you should fear him, except here you are sipping tea in his home without a care in the world. When it was time for you to leave you scooped up your little cat promising to visit again so it could play with his new friend, you waved Kennyo goodbye and left. Kennyo bid you farewell while wearing the most gentle soft smile, unbeknown to him. You had visited him many times since. Every time bringing some kind of sweet treats to share and have with your tea. The more you visited the more Kennyo seemed to enjoy your company and open up a little.

Kennyo never thought he had any humanity left in him until meeting you. Every visit seemed to soften and melt his stone-cold icy heart. Before he knew it, he was utterly in love with you. He loved your dark humor; he loved your vast imagination, and he loved that you respected his alone time as well. Your optimism and gentle nature even managed to heal the hole in his heart and soul.

He slowly returned to the tender, soft-hearted monk he once was, also rebuilding the bridge of friendship with his old friend Shingen. Of course, he still dislikes Nobunaga, but that never affected your relationship. You eventually, with Dad Nobunaga and Mom Hideyoshi’s permission, moved into the small cabin with Kennyo. The two of you can often be found wandering around the forest together, hand in hand, heads in the clouds, and helping anyone or anything in need. He loves nothing more than to lay with his head on your lap, as you gently play with his hair and sing to him. Even when you think your voice is terrible, he absolutely loves it! He has now dedicated his like to the optimistic angel who swooped in and saved him from himself. And will love you to the ends of the earth and back.

Other potential matches................Mitsunari

I hope you enjoyed it dear! And I hope you are staying safe and well!

#ikesen matchup #matchups #ikemen sengoku kennyo #ikesen kennyo #ikemen kennyo #ikemen sengoku matchup #ikemen matchup #kennyo matchup

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badwolfwrites-sometimes · 5 years

Text

Drawn Together

Hi! This is my first fanfic so criticism is welcome and encouraged. I'll probably update it slowly tho...

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18923374/chapters/44924251

The wheel of fortune never stops spinning.

Who was on the top, now is on the bottom.

And who was on the bottom, now is on the top.

-Giovanni Gondola, Osman

Feliciano never expected his entire life to change after a single doodle, but there it was. And it was not just a beautiful dream.

Chapter 1

Venice, 2018

"I have to buy more blue and green." Came from a young man watering his tulips on the windowsill. He brushed his light brown hair with his fingers away from his face, allowing it to bathe in the early morning sun rays. He wasn't normally the person who would wake up early in the morning, but duty calls and he had work to do.

His brothers had yet to wake up and, if we're being honest, he enjoyed the morning silence. It was always very noisy in the house. His younger brother Romeo had a habit of singing loudly and, sometimes, off key which pisses off his eldest brother Lovino. It was a good thing they lived a bit outside of Venice and not in the centre or else the neighbours would complain all the time.

And he, a stunning 22 year old man who answers to Feliciano, was always just there. He wasn't really all that flashy like his brothers. Sure, he had his talents, one being art which was also his job, but he was mostly known as the happy one from the Vargas family. Maybe that was for the best.

He just finished watering his tulips when he heard a loud thud followed by a bad word you probably shouldn't teach to your kids. Lovino was awake and if he wanted to live to finish his painting of the Adriatic Sea, he better make him some coffee.

He set down the watering pot and started the coffee machine. Knowing his brother, he has about 20 minutes till he gets ready enough to come down to the kitchen. Just enough time to make breakfast as well.

Feliciano opened the bottom drawer next to the washing machine to take some bread Romeo baked the night before as well as some jam and Nutella from the table next to the stove. He knew Lovino liked it when he made his special half jam half Nutella bread, even though the latter would never admit that.

Lovino was down right on time for breakfast and coffee which means Feliciano gets to live for one more day.

"Morning." Lovino greeted, his voice still sore from sleeping.

"Good morning, Lovi!" Feliciano returned and offered his brother two pieces of bread and his cup of coffee with some anime girls on it. "Are you driving Romeo to collage today?"

"No. Midget can walk to his collage. Maybe he gets some tan from the stupid sun blinding my eyes at 4 in the damn morning."

Despite being the shortest of the three, Lovino still had a bad habit of calling his brothers midgets. Talk about Napoleon complex.

"I was thinking we should all take a walk. It's a nice day and it's been too long since we took a walk together. Plus I need to buy more paint." Feliciano smiled as he made his own cup of coffee, with a picture of the Colosseum on it, and sat down beside his brother.

"When are you gonna get a real job? You can't just draw for a living. Get an actual job that pays well and you can do art in your spare time." Lovino looked at Feliciano, who has most certianly heard this all before.

"It's what I love, Lovi. It's what I want to do with my life. Believe it or not, money isn't everything in the world. I want to be happy with my life. I don't wanna waste it doing something I hate just because it pays well." Feliciano rolled his eyes.

"So you're planning on living off Grandpa's allowances, love and some drawings? That's more miserable than doing what you hate. I hate my job, do you see me miserable? No. Then why can't you do the same?"

"Because I'm not you and I don't wanna talk about this. It's my choice, Lovi. Not yours."

And with that the conversation died, the two brothers continuing their breakfast in awkward silence. Until...

There was a loud thumping and a red headed boy was before them in less than a minute. His messy hair falling on his face, the eyebags still visible. He was gasping for his breath.

"Why didn't anyone wake me up?!" He said in between smaller gasps.

"Romeo, you're 19. You're old enough to wake yourself up." Lovino said, not remotely fazed by his brother's state.

"Um, no. If you woke up before me, you should have woken me up. You know my phone alarm doesn't work. Or my phone at all."

"Fratellino, calm down. You're not in high school anymore, your collage doesn't start till 9. It's 6:40." Feliciano laughed. He had the same problem when he left high school too.

Romeo looked at the clock. It showed 6:40. His high school would start at 7 AM. His body still wasn't used to the new surrounding that was collage. He buried his head in his hands and sat down. "What's for breakfast?"

"My speciality." Feliciano offered him some Nutella-jam bread.

"I love it when you get up early."

"I know you do." Feliciano laughed and the breakfast was continued.

It was 8:00 when Romeo left the house for collage, leaving Lovino and Feliciano alone. Lovino was getting ready in his room while Feliciano wrote the list of things he needed to buy. They were running low on coffee and milk, but most importantly Feliciano wanted to buy a new brush. His old one had far too many stray hairs to be used for delicate painting. It's a shame, but he had it since he was little. Of course he needed a new one.

"Are you done?" Lovino asked, spraying himself with some 'manly' perfume that smelled like plastic strawberry.

"Yeah, I'm done. I just have to find my jacket." Feliciano said, throwing every single jacket they had hanging in the hallway on the floor. A strange method, but it worked because he found his dark green fall jacket and returned all the others back on the stall.

"Good. Let's go. I have to go to the town for some buissness so if we don't hurry bye bye vaporetto." Lovino cringed at the reaction his brother made. They lived close to Venice, but they still had to travel by a smaller ship called vaporetto to get to it. It was inconvenient, but it was good for the tourist season.

Feliciano practically skipped the whole way to the port. There was one vaporetto waiting for people to board. Lovino entered inside to ask when it will be leaving and to pay for their ticket. Feliciano waited outside for his brother and when he exited the room to tell Feliciano they will be leaving soon, Feliciano boarded the ship.

The ride to Venice would usually take them about 45 minutes to a full hour, depending on whether or not there were many tourist groups. Today there was only two of them. Germans. Feliciano had taken a course on German in middle school, but he had mostly forgotten it. He understood that they were talking about some kind of new book that was a hit among youth in Germany. A book about Venice itself. He wished he still knew how to speak German. He would have asked for a title.

They arrived on Riva degli Schiavoni, a bridge and a walk away from the magnificent Basilica di San Marco and it's large Piazza which was always crowded with either people or pigeons. Feliciano loved to run into pigeons, loving the way their wings moved as they flew away. He wanted to do that now, but apparently his brother wasn't planning on more walking and was talking, rather happily, to their old friend Antonio, who was a gondolier.

"Feli! I gotta go to post office, not pigeon chasing! Get your ass over here!" Lovino yelled, reverting back to his moody attitude. He jumped into the gondola and sat down, crossing his arms and legs.

"I'm coming, quit yelling! Hi Toni! I hope Lovi pays you for this." Feliciano greeted and jumped into the gondola and sat down next to his brother. He was looking foward to going under Ponte dei Sospiri. He was even preparing himself to breathe out while going under it.

"It's always free for you three. We're friends after all. Lovi can pay me with a little drink after I'm done with my shift." Antonio said as he adjusted his gondola and softly made his way to the post office near the Church of San Salvador.

Feliciano enjoyed everything he saw. He was born here, but in his entire lifetime he could never comprehend Venice's entire beauty. It was only when he saw a bookstore hidden well among tall buildings and restaurants, that he snapped himself out of the trance.

"Hey Toni, do you think you could bring me right here while we wait for Lovi to do his thing?" He asked, turning around to look at Antonio.

Antonio brushed his curly dark brown hair away from his green eyes and nodded at Feliciano. "Sure! Saw something pretty?"

"Yeah, a bookstore. It had a nice design and I wanted to check it out. Plus I need to buy more paint and bookstores tend to have good ones." He answered happily, oblivious to his brother rolling his eyes.

The ride to the post office was relatively short and quiet, with occasional comments from Feliciano and Antonio asking how their grandpa was doing. They dropped off Lovino and were on their way back to the bookstore Feliciano saw.

"You got a book in mind to buy?" Antonio asked.

"Maybe. I overheard some German tourist talking about this book about Venice or something. I thought I should check if they had it." Feliciano smiled softly at Antonio.

"I think I know what you're talking about. Armando recently bought this book called Silence in Venice, by a German author. I asked my German friend about it and he told me that it was all the rage in Germany now. Apparently, it's a love story about a boy who goes to war and leaves behind his childhood love. That's all I know, Andy didn't tell me much else to avoid spoilers as he says."

"A love story... I really like those. Thanks, Toni!"

Soon they arrived and Feliciano hugged Antonio as a thanks, promising he won't be long.

He entered the bookstore and was immediately striken by the smell of new books. That wonderful scent of paper that was about to be touched and read by many. It was so pleasant, he would have just kept standing there forever. But he had to move, Antonio was waiting for him outside and maybe even Lovino. Knowing his brother, if he waited longer than 10 minutes, he would lose his already short temper.

Feliciano quickly found the desired shades of blue and green as well as a new paintbrush that had small drawings on it. It was a bit more expensive than the normal brush, but it spoke to his soul so... how could he say no?

He was about to go pay for his things, when a book cover caught his eye. It had a picture of two people, a boy and a girl, on Ponte di Rialto, embracing each other like they were about to lose each other. The girl had long light brown hair tied in two side braids and was wearing a beautiful green dress. The boy had blonde hair that looked like it was previously slicked back, but messed up by the wind, and was wearing a war uniform. Feliciano knew which book it was. The title read Il Silenzio a Venezia. Silence in Venice. The book Antonio recommended to him.

Feliciano couldn't resist it. He bought it and happily skipped to the gondola on which Antonio waited for him. He clutched the book in his arms close to his chest, impatiently waiting to read it.

#gerita #aph gerita #aph germany #aph italy #aph north italy #feliciano vargas #aph feliciano #ludwig beilschmidt #aph ludwig #germany x italy #ludfeli #writer x artist au #hetalia #aph #hetalia axis powers

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mystery-moose · 7 years

Text

FIC: Angus McDonald and the Flight of the Flying V (10/?)

[AO3 link]

They’ve come a long way, but even ten years after the world was saved, they’re still not quite where they should be. A whim, a missing painting, and a handful of near-death experiences help a flip wizard and his apprentice bridge the gap.

Taako does his best. Angus takes some risks. Introductions are made, bonds are tested, and lessons are learned — better late than never.

Much as he occasionally enjoyed pretending otherwise, Taako wasn’t an idiot; when Angus gave him his key and shooed him off, he knew it wasn’t for his benefit. Which was fine, really — the kid had a job to do, and Taako was a great big walking distraction. He could have left town right then and there, called it a day and gone back home.

And then Angus would be on his own. Looking for someone who could cast seventh-level Evocation.

Nah. Taako could afford to stay a bit longer. Not like he had anywhere else to be. Besides, the boy needed his help. Not with the case, he clearly had the detective shit locked down. No, Angus need Taako’s help with something far, far more important.

Alright, first thing’s first: how do you find a cop?

“Hey, hold this.”

Taako tossed a random dwarf his purse.

“Thanks.” Then he turned, cupped his hands by his mouth, and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Thief! Thief! A thief is stealing my purse!”

All heads in the market square crowd turned toward them. The dwarf looked from side to side, panicked. “Wh—I didn't—”

“Thief! Thug! Brigand! Cutpurse!” Taako shouted. “Other words for a guy who steals!”

The dwarf threw the purse to the ground and took off into the crowd, elbowing people to get past. Nobody stopped him.

Taako snorted and went to pick up his bag. Fuckin’ Neverwinter.

Moments later, a shorter woman pushed her way through the crowd. Taako recognized her instantly.

“Alright, step aside, what’s th—” She paused, brow furrowed. “Taako?”

He clasped his hands together and grinned. “Why, Silvia! What an absolute and total coincidence!”

“Uh-huh.” Silvia nodded and removed a hand from her belt, by her wand holster. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, fine, just fine!” he said, waving it off. “Some ne'er-do-well tried to make off with my bag, but he dropped it. No bigs.”

“Yeah, I heard the shouts.” She glanced around as the crowd surrounding them began to turn away, then shrugged casually. “So, do you wanna file a report, or…?”

Taako tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Nah, I wouldn’t wanna put you out. But it’s so funny that we ran into each other again! Are you busy?”

She blinked, then gestured around them. “I’m on duty?”

“Right, right,” he said dismissively. “How about after?”

Silvia rubbed the back of her neck, looking sort of confused. “I mean, I guess I don’t have any special plans—”

“Excellent! Then we can take you up on that rain check! Stop on by Ango’s place, we’ll do dinner!”

“Uh—”

“He’ll be a bit late, probably. I mean, you know him! Always with the detecting!” Taako laughed, short and sweet, then turned serious and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Now, do you have any allergies I should know about?” Silvia blinked again. “No, but—”

“Great! One less thing to worry about, am I right?” Taako elbowed her gently. “So what time should we expect you? Six? Six sounds good!”

“Six—”

“Six it is!” Taako stepped back, taking her hand in both of his. “Now I’m real sorry to cut and run, but I’ve got some shopping to do, and you’ve got, I don’t know, whatever police-cop business is, right?”

“I'm—”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a busy woman on the go, I get it!” Taako stepped back, tipped his hat, flashed her his best smile and spun on his heel. He waved over his shoulder as he walked away. “Keep it real, maydl! See you at six!”

Taako shoved his way through the crowd without looking back and tried to find a street sign pointing toward the merchant district.

The game was on. Now he had to prepare the field.

With a flick of his umbrella, Taako Reduced the old table and chairs to a more manageable size, then tossed them thoughtlessly into the back of the Pocket Spa. He shoved the new rosewood table out into the kitchen, and then arranged the four matching chairs around it.

Now, Taako was no mensch, but whatever his apprentice had in his kitchen reflected on him. He needed something nice and heavy, pretty but able to take a beating. Magnus had mentioned rosewood being a particular favorite of his, and if there was one area Taako trusted Magnus’ judgment in, it was this one. So rosewood it was. Of course, the carvings along the side and into the surface weren’t exactly utilitarian, but hey, if you’re gonna go to town, go in a wagon.

The art, however, he’d absolutely cheaped out on. No one cared what the hell was on a person’s wall, only that they cared enough to put something there. If the kid didn’t like ‘em, he could go and get his own. That being said, Taako did find a few pieces that spoke to him. Surely Angus would appreciate them as well. After all, what was Taako if not a living, breathing gift to aesthetics?

As for the plant, that was easy. The park wouldn’t miss it. They had dozens of those flowery bushes, and Angus’ taxes had paid for them, anyway. Taako felt he was free and clear, morally.

He was in the middle of banging a nail into the wall with the handle of his umbrella when he heard a knock at the door.

“Just a minute!” he called in a sing-song voice.

Taako picked up the painting of the cat on the clothesline and hung it carefully. He stepped back, admired it, and nodded. Then he threw on his apron, shrunk the Pocket Spa back down, pushed the potted plant to its rightful place in the corner, and opened the door.

Silvia was dressed almost exactly as she had been that afternoon, minus the militia tabard. She turned to face him as he opened the door, looking apologetic.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said, exasperated. “Some stuff came up, and I had to take care of it before I left the precinct for the day.”

“It’s cool, ketzile. In fact, you’re right on time!” Taako said, stepping aside and ushering her in. “I was just about to start dinner!”

Silvia stepped inside and looked around while Taako shut the door behind her. Her eyes caught on the painting over the fireplace.

“Nice, huh?” he said, resting a hand on his hip.

“Uh, yeah,” she said, nodding quickly. “Super nice.”

“See, 'cause dogs can’t play cards, normally.”

“No, yeah. Totally.”

Taako held his hand out. “Coat?”

Silvia blinked. “Oh! Right. Sure, thank you.”

She handed her longcoat to him and Taako hung it on one of the hooks by the door. Then he stepped around the kitchen table and opened the fridge.

“Should have everything I need,” he mumbled to himself, taking stock of Angus’ meager provisions. “Can make do, anyway.”

He looked over his shoulder at Silvia, standing near the kitchen table. “Take a load off! You want coffee? Tea? Beer?”

“No, I'm—” Silvia stopped halfway to her seat and raised her eyebrows. “Angus has beer?”

“Sadly, Ango’s a real straight-edge,” Taako said, shaking his head. “But I can whip some up, if you want. Water into wine is the easy stuff.”

Silvia considered it for a moment, then settled back into her seat. “I’ll stick with the water.”

“Square,” Taako said decisively, closing the fridge and getting a glass from the cupboard. “You two must’ve got along from the jump.”

“Actually…” Silvia laughed a little. “Not so much.”

“No?” Taako shut off the sink and handed Silvia the glass with a questioning look. “What, you butt heads or something?”

She shook her head and took a sip. Then she said, as casually as anything, “I arrested him.”

Taako stared at her. Then he burst out laughing.

“I was on the trail of this cat burglar, and I found Angus skulking around the area of the latest theft, looking thoroughly suspicious,” Silvia explained with a grin. “He fit the description. And when I patted him down and found the wand, the crossbow, the blackjack—”

“Stop! Stop!” Taako begged as he gasped for breath, bent at the waist and holding himself up with the counter. “I’m gonna black out!”

Silvia laughed while Taako fought to recover. He straightened against the counter and wiped tears from his eyes. “Ah, fuck. Poor little twerp.”

“He helped me track down the real thief,” she said. “That’s when I decided he was alright.”

Taako opened the fridge again and gathered up what he needed: mushrooms, shallots, butter and cheese, plus some green onions he could chop up and transmute into chives. The rice came from the cupboard; not the right kind, but that was easily remedied. Water to white wine, cheddar into parmesan, a little black pepper and sea salt, and Taako was in business.

While he prepped his ingredients, he said idly, “So, maydl, tell me about yourself.”

“Me?”

Taako glanced over his shoulder and gave her a look. “No, the plant in the corner. Yeah, you! What’s your story? You didn’t come out of the womb with cuffs and a badge, right?”

“Well… kinda.” Silvia shrugged. “It runs in the family.”

Taako filled the pan with water from the sink and with a swirl, turned it to chicken broth. He set it on one burner and picked up the only other skillet Angus owned. “You like it?”

“I do. It’s good work. Fulfilling. And ever since Lord-Commander Boudicca took the office, corruption has hit an all-time low.”

Taako took a moment to decide between butter or olive oil, then cupped a bit of water in his hands and subsequently coated the skillet with oil.

“I’ve met the Commander a few times, once when I was promoted to lieutenant,” Silvia said, a little awe creeping in. “She’s… incredible.”

Bit of a kiss-up, huh? Taako sneered to himself and started dicing mushrooms into the pan. “Alright, forget about work. What’s a gal like you do for fun?”

Silvia shrugged in his periphery. “Uh. Read, I guess? Solve puzzles, go hiking… oh, I love to climb, too! I’ve been meaning to take some time off and head south along the World’s Teeth, try and make a summit or two.”

“Why bother?” Taako tossed the mushrooms casually, using Prestidigitation to heat them faster and prodding them with a large wooden spoon. “You know magic. Just float on up and enjoy the view.”

She shook her head. “It’s not the same. And I don’t like to use magic when I don’t have to. I don’t want it to become a crutch.”

Taako turned and pointed at her with the spoon. “See, there’s where we differ, maydl. Magic’s like a great ass. If you got it? Flaunt it!”

To punctuate his point, Taako poured the mushrooms onto a plate (one of the new ones he’d picked up today, of course) then with a flourish, added the shallots and white rice to the empty pan. With a dexterous flick of his wrist, Taako tossed the rice in the pan and transmuted it to brown, and then with another toss, to Arborio rice. Silvia clapped politely, and Taako took a little stage bow.

“Besides,” he said casually, turning back to the stove and sneaking a grain of rice into his mouth, “some of us need that crutch.”

Silvia paused for a moment, then cleared her throat. “Sorry. It’s just how I feel. Probably picked it up from my mom.”

“She a wizard?”

“Nah. That’d be my uncle. He’s the one who taught me.”

“How much?”

“Fifth-level, mostly Evocation. Sixth, if I stretch.” She shrugged. “I’m okay. Could have learned more, I guess.”

When the rice began to turn gold, Taako stirred in the white wine, making sure to taste it on his tongue beforehand. Not a good vintage, transmutationally speaking, but it didn’t have to be. “Why stop there?”

“It was all I needed to enter the Academy,” Silvia said simply. “Militia was short on wizards at the time, and for as much as mom tried, I was never gonna be the best with a sword and board, y'know? So, I asked my uncle to teach me magic. He was over the moon about it, made a point to… well, to shove it in my mom’s face at every opportunity.”

Taako grinned. “Well, I don’t know about your mom, but your uncle sounds alright.”

There was a brief silence. Taako hummed tunelessly to himself as he stirred the rice.

“She was a good woman. Taught me a lot.”

Taako froze. His smile disappeared and he felt his jaw clench as he tapped his wooden spoon on the edge of the pan.

“Sorry, maydl,” he said quietly.

“It’s alright,” she said. In his periphery, he saw her lean her elbows on the table and smile mournfully. “Anyway, my uncle moved down to Armos to be closer to his husband’s family, so I haven’t had the opportunity to learn more.”

Taako decided to be quiet for a bit and let the awkwardness scab over. He added a bit of broth to the rice and stirred it in.

“What about you?” Silvia asked. “You teach Angus?”

“Only everything he knows,” Taako said, a smile forming on his lips. “He’s damn good in a kitchen.”

“Really?”

“Hell yeah.” He spun on his heel and grinned, tugging at his apron straps. “Compared to anyone but me, of course.”

Silvia grinned back. “He help with your cooking show?”

“Help? He was my trusted and loyal apprentice!” Taako spun back to the stove — can’t screw around too much with risotto. “Toured for seven years, helped with every single performance.”

“Wow.” Silvia shook her head. “Hard for me to imagine Angus out in the countryside, peeling potatoes in the back of a wagon.”

“First of all,” Taako said seriously, “he was paring, not peeling. There’s a difference.”

Silvia almost laughed. Then she furrowed her brow curiously. “Wait, is there?”

“Secondly,” he continued, ignoring her, “what’s so hard to believe? Ango’s a worldly kid. Been all over the place.”

“Just… not a side of him I’ve seen, I guess,” she said, rubbing the back of her neck. “So it was just the two of you?”

“Oh dear fuck, no!” Taako exclaimed, aghast. “Can you imagine? We’d drive each other insane!”

Silvia laughed. Taako turned back to add the last of the chicken broth to the rice.

“Nah, I had Krav with me,” he said, smiling despite himself. “Tall, dark, and bony. Patience of a saint, dumb sense of humor. The total package.”

Taako flattened his expression and turned to look at her. Very casually, almost disinterested, he asked, “You got anyone special, maydl?”

She blinked. “Uh. I mean — no. Not right now.”

He nodded casually and looked away. Then he grinned privately and did a little arm pump as he tended to the risotto.

“So, the three of you all on tour, huh?” Silvia asked. “Sounds like a family affair.”

Taako paused. He braced one hand on the counter and fiddled idly with the spoon, staring at nothing.

“Wasn’t always,” he said. “But… yeah. Guess it ended up that way.”

He looked over at Silvia. She looked a bit stricken, like she was afraid she’d said something wrong. Taako smiled at her and tapped his chest.

“Wasn’t ’and Company’ until they came along.”

Just then, Taako’s ears perked up; footsteps coming up the outside stairs.

“Speaking of company,” he said, nodding towards the door.

A moment later, Angus entered, arms full of books as he fumbled with the knob.

“Hello, sir! What smells so g—”

The amount of pleasure Taako took in Angus’ dumbstruck expression was extraordinary. Taako gave him the smuggest smile he could muster and spread his hands innocently.

“Risotto, my dude. Want some? You must be starving.”

People really underestimated how much fun being an asshole could be.

#the adventure zone #thezonecast #angus mcdonald #taako #fanfiction #post-campaign #mystery #adventure

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