Chapter Text
The spell hits Taako square in the chest.
He’s out with the Reaper Squad, a quick necromancer pickup and then they’ll be on their way to dinner.
Taako is a talented transmutation wizard and a baller flip wizard, thank you very much. He was going to be fine, no matter what.
The spell hits him and everything goes fuzzy.
He tries to call out for Kravitz. For Barry. For Lup.
He feels himself forget again, and before he can scream he’s gone.
***
Taako wakes up lying in the soft grass.
There’s screaming in the background, the noise so loud that he pushes his hands against his ears to muffle it.
His hands are shaking. He doesn’t remember why.
A man in denim pants rushes up to him - Pants Man, Taako dubs him - and kneels next to him.
He says something that Taako can’t understand. His voice is gravely, but warm.
Taako blinks. The man’s face pales, and he calls something over his shoulder. Another man quickly runs over.
The most gorgeous man that Taako has ever seen.
He has dark skin, red eyes, and gorgeous hair pulled into dreadlocks. Taako smiles at him. He knows this is a friend.
No, more than a friend, his gut tells him. More than a friend.
The man tries to speak to him, and the more Taako doesn’t understand the more frustrated the man gets.
Taako takes the man’s hand in his, trying to calm him down. Something was making him upset, and that was bad. Taako wants to see him smile.
A third person, an elven woman, rushes to his side.
When he sees her he can’t help but grin. There’s something about this friend - no, his sister - that makes him feel alive.
She looks panicked, tears dripping down her face, as she examines him.
She keeps saying things that Taako can’t understand, her tone growing in urgency until it’s a plead. Taako cups her face in his hands. He leans in and gives her forehead a kiss.
She continues crying, but the trio get up and lead him somewhere new. The handsome man sweeps him up and carries him, but Taako doesn’t mind. He’s starting to get sleepy anyways.
He falls asleep on the way home.
***
Taako wakes up to find himself placed on a couch, surrounded by a variety of dozing people.
On first glance Taako can tell they’re all friends. There’s a large human man with bushy sideburns who snores loudly as he rests - Sideburns, Taako dubs him.
On a chair next to Taako’s couch, as if he had been checking on him, is a chubby dwarf with flowers in his beard. On his lap is a potted plant - it’s pretty and green and Taako leans over to touch it. As he does he causes the plant man to stir - the Plant Man, that’s what Taako will call him. The Plant Man blinks at him, confused, before realization dawns on his face. He smiles sadly and waves at Taako.
The Plant Man says something and people around the room start to rise.
Sideburns bellows a greeting that makes Taako jump. At this reaction he quiets down, gazing guiltily in Taako’s direction.
Someone else speaks to Sideburns - a dark skinned, light haired woman with a pen placed carefully in her lap. She speaks in such a gentle way that Taako decides he will call her the Quiet Lady.
Taako’s sister and the Handsome Man approach him, concern on their faces. He grabs their hands, bringing them to sit beside him, and nuzzles up between the two of them. Everyone seems surprised.
There are more words spoken that Taako can’t understand.
A man in the corner looks at him and nods solemnly. Taako decides immediately he will be called Mustache Man because he sports an impressive ‘stache, orange in color.
Mustache Man smiles at him, speaking softly to the rest of the group. They fall silent and listen to him. He’s in charge, Taako can tell, or at least he used to be.
The people around the room nod at what Mustache Man has to say - Taako wishes he could have heard the speech, Sideburns looks moved to tears - and start to slowly leave the room.
Soon it’s just the Handsome Man and Taako’s sister. They each place a gentle kiss on the top of his head.
Taako doesn’t know why they’re sad, but he’s glad they’re here with them. He only hopes they’re glad he’s there, too.