Written for @taagnusweek day 6: free day
(I chose to go with one of my prompt submissions that didn't get used.)
Magnus squinted down at the leaflet in his hand, trying to make out the smudged handwriting. After glancing between it and the sign hanging over the pub door a few times, he shrugged and headed inside. He was relatively sure he was in the right place, anyway.
The interior of the pub was dark, noisy, and packed to the gills. He was supposed to meet his potential employer at the cornermost table, so he squeezed through the throng of drinkers gathered around the bar. As he approached, Magnus noticed someone was already sitting at the corner table.
An elf with choppy shoulder-length white-blond hair was sitting on the far side of the table with his back to the wall. He was wrapped almost protectively in a dark cloak, and the brim of his pointed hat was pulled low, knife-like ears barely peeking out from beneath. For all the effort he seemed to be going to in remaining unnoticed, Magnus could tell that he was stunningly beautiful, even more so than elves were usually known for. As Magnus approached the table, he looked up, hazel eyes narrowed warily.
Magnus smiled automatically, trying to appear non-threatening. "Hail and well-met! I don't suppose you are--" he referred to the leaflet again, "Gundren Rockseeker?"
The elf lifted a perfectly manicured eyebrow, a wry twist to his lips. "Considering as I'm not a dwarf, no."
Magnus glanced back down at the parchment. "Oh, uh. Didn't read that bit. Makes sense, a name like Rockseeker…" he felt his face growing red.
Oddly enough, this display of self-consciousness seemed to endear him to the elf more than his friendliness had. He pushes his hat back from his face and gave Magnus an appreciative once-over that only served to make him blush more. "You here about the gig, too, big guy?"
"Magnus," he replied, "Magnus Burnsides. And yes, I am."
The elf waved magnanimously, indicating that Magnus should take a seat, so he did. "It seems our host is a little late, but I imagine he'll be along shortly."
"Sorry, I didn't get your name?"
The elf hesitated for a moment, and then offered his hand. "Taako," he said. "Hail and well-met or whatever."
Magnus clasped his hand. His own hand nearly swallowed it up. "Pleased to meet you." He frowned, a weird sense of deja vu washing over him. "Have I...seen you somewhere before?"
Taako stiffened, retracting his hand. "No."
"I feel like I know you…"
"I mean, I did a little traveling show for a while. No big thing." He gave an unaffected shrug, but his tone was strangely terse.
Magnus did recall a show, but it didn't feel like that completely accounted for the strange sense of familiarity. That had to have been what he was thinking of, though. "Oh right! You did a cooking show in Ravens' Roost. My wife and I saw your demonstration."
The memory was a fond one. Julia was the one who had suggested going, but Magnus was the one who ended up being hypnotized by the performance, and by the chef. Even then, he remembered noticing Taako's beauty. Julia had teased him about his "crush" for weeks. The free meal had been delicious, too.
Taako did not look like it was a fond memory for him. "Yeah, well, I don't do that anymore. I'm an adventurer-for-hire now. It's a living, huh?"
Magnus nodded. "I like it."
"Your wife is cool with you disappearing on these big adventures all the time?"
Magnus swallowed. "Oh. She's, uh, she...passed away."
"Shit," Taako deadpanned. "I just shoved my entire foot in my mouth, huh?"
His response surprised a laugh out of Magnus. It was so unlike the reactions he usually got, all false platitudes and sorry-for-your-losses. It was actually kind of refreshing. The elf was oddly familiar to Magnus, even more than the one ships-passing encounter explained. He didn't feel like he was meeting him for the first time; it felt like he was reuniting with a dear friend after a long separation. The grin on Taako's face made him think the wizard maybe felt the same way.
"Honestly, there's no good way to bring it up," Magnus admitted. "I mistook you for a dwarf when I first got here. Maybe we're just shit conversationalists."
Taako snorted. "Well then we better hope this Rockseeker homie brings along somebody with more social graces, or this whole trip's gonna be a disaster."
"You must be Taako and Magnus," said a gravelly voice. "I'm Gundren Rockseeker. This is my bodyguard, Barry, and the third member of your party, Merle Highchurch."
Magnus looked from Gundren to the two men behind him. One, a tall and denim-clad human and the other a crunchy-looking dwarf cleric who looked like he had some leaves stuck in his beard.
Magnus snuck a peek back at Taako. The elf was already looking back, lips twitching. "Never mind. We're doomed!"
They fell against each other, laughing. Despite what he'd said, Magnus was starting to think this gig might've been the best choice he'd made in a long time.
Read the rest of my Taagnus Week prompts at AO3!
