#like... where was taako being affected by the fact that ren loves his show when he can only remember that it ended in tragedy?

[ghosty-schnibibit]

me finishing the new graphic novel like on the one hand yes the art is gorgeous as always yes the chalice scenes were handled well yes the lunar interludes got included in a cool way but on the other hand me looking at ren (and also a bit at taako by proxy) like

[epersonae]

let's try this again, with numbers this time! taagnus for the ship meme, but i'm paring down my questions to: 1, 2, 7, 9, 11, 12, 18, 22, & 29 (please and thank)

I feel like many of these have different answers if you look at Stolen Century vs BoB vs post-canon, and a few of them I think I’ve written about, so I might end up jumping around time-wise and dropping in links as appropriate. (ed: or I might just refer to things and not link :shrug:)

1. Who makes the first move and how?

I wrote a whole-ass thing about this with the BoB, to which the short answer is there’s some wild mutual flirting at the Solstice Festival, but Magnus makes the first actual move. (Things escalate quickly.) When they get back together after Story and Song, Taako’s the one who makes a move, encouraged by Kravitz.

I have yet to really solidify my thoughts about Stolen Century, tbqh. I wrote a thing where they have a one night stand right before their mission training starts, and I think they don’t get together during training because they’re both trying to be professionals. (Magnus more so than Taako, because he feels how young he is, and he’s trying to be taken seriously by all of these fairly powerful magic users.) But then they start sneaking around during the first year, when they realize that professionalism is pretty much blown to shit. As for who makes the first move...I think Taako drops mad hints, for like weeks, while Magnus is still trying to be An Professional Guarding This Ship, bless his heart. Honestly, I don’t know, and maybe I should play with that idea and see where it goes?????

2. Who is the most insecure and what makes them feel better?

Stolen Century: Magnus, but he’d never admit it. (being allowed to help, he feels needed)

BoB/post-canon: Taako, and he’ll Magic Missile you if you suggest it. (being given unconditional affection out of the blue, it freaks him out but feels so good)

7. What do they get up to on a night out?

Just imagine with me, for a moment, Taako dragging Coach Magnus (possibly with the whole goddamn team of kids) to the most exquisite restaurants in Tessaralia. Like, just, the image of it.

Similarly, Taako and Kravitz absolutely get homebody Magnus out of Ravens Roost for all sorts of fancy restaurant nights. Taako complains about the food but enjoys both the food and the complaining. Alternately, any given post-canon liveshow is its own night out, even if Merle’s there as a third wheel.

Also: Chug ‘n Squeeze threesome? Yes please. (oh hey @tarkesians is THIS the double-date concept we need to write? Possibly feat. Fantasy Olive Garden?)

9. What is the most embarrassing thing they have done in front of each other?

Taako does canonically do the Thong Song, so.......

And Magnus wears hideous cargo shorts, and tuxedos with the sleeves torn off.

It’s a match made in heaven.

11. What do they hide from one another?

For so long, there’s no secrets on the Starblaster. (Magnus tries to keep it from Taako at first, when he starts to have feelings for Lucretia, but that lasts for about 10 minutes.) But Lup makes Taako promise he won’t tell anyone about the lichening, and that’s an important turning point; later, neither of them talks about how much it hurts to see the destruction created by the Relics. Magnus in particular doesn’t talk about how freaked out he is that the Chalice could be used and they just wouldn’t know.

At the BoB, they’re both hiding how serious their feelings are -- not just from each other, but from themselves. Everything feels more serious than it “should” be, and neither of them knows what to do with it.

For quite a while in the post-canon, Taako absolutely will not let Magnus see him without his glamour, even after they’re back together. And at the same time, Magnus tries to keep it quiet that he’s seeing Lucretia again.

Post-Reckoning, Taako has to continue to hide the whole story of how they killed Kalen, and he hates it. (Magnus tries to keep chill about falling in love with Kravitz; again, that lasts about 10 minutes. FWIW, there’s gonna be something about all that in the Reckoning epilogue beach vacation, and I’m hype.)

12. What first changes when it starts getting serious?

On the Starblaster, it’s so gradual that I don’t know if they even make note of it. I say that, and then think of the fic I wrote about Magnus dying on the mushroom planet, and Taako making mushroom candy, and is that how he realizes it? I do think Magnus gets more careful about not just throwing himself into danger, and Taako gets more open about showing affection.

When it threatens to get serious at the BoB, Taako starts flirting with Death. Which is not to say that his relationship with Kravitz isn’t meaningful, but there’s a certain aspect of not wanting to make a Thing of it with Magnus, and oh here’s something else.... That also turns out to be serious, joke’s on him.

I feel like I’ve written something about how it gets serious after Story and Song, but generally for me what makes it serious is actually talking about it, and including Kravitz in that conversation. Also, Magnus gets a permanent guest room at Reaper House, and he builds a bigger bed for the house in Ravens Roost. (I was just joking with Kath in chat about Merle trying to figure out guest room arrangements during summer vacations at the manor in Bottlenose Cove, given all the everything. Although I think it makes Merle a little nostalgic for Polyblaster shenanigans.)

18. When they fight, how do they make up?

Taako makes food. I’m a big fan of that headcanon that Taako has a whole food language, so he’ll make a fancy desert if he thinks he’s forgiving Magnus, and a big hearty dinner if he’s apologizing.

Magnus does like to talk it out, at least post-canon, but he’s made peace with the fact that it doesn’t always happen, and so the backup is dad jokes and backrubs. (Back on the Starblaster, he’d try to bring home interesting ingredients, which sometimes works and sometimes.......grass stew it is, I guess.)

22. Where does the first kiss happen?

My favorite version of the first kiss is the BoB one, where they’re dancing at night during the Solstice Festival and Magnus dips Taako, and whoops......kiss!

29. Why do they fall a little bit more in love?

Taako sees Magnus always trying to do good, in his wild and reckless way; twice he gets to see the man he loves growing into himself, becoming more thoughtful and sincere without ever losing that energy he first fell for.

Magnus sees the side of Taako that he’s always hiding a little bit: his caring for Kravitz and Angus, his fierce love for his sister, his friendship with Ren. He loves Taako’s creativity, his flair with magic. (He feels so much love and gratitude when he sees Taako and Lucretia finally repairing their relationship. It’s something he hoped for but never expected.)

They both see something of their love for each other reflected in their relationships with Kravitz, too, and that deepens all of those relationships.