Chapter Text
Taako fucking LOVED Fantasy Mardi Gras.
A city-wide party, with colors and costumes and food. What wasn’t glitter was feathers, and what wasn’t glitter or feathers was as much nudity as people could get away with. There wasn’t a single dull moment: everywhere someone was dancing, music was playing, flasks were passed around.
He couldn’t even bring himself to be annoyed that he had to work the family restaurant almost all day.
“Lup, I’ve got six plates ready to go, and if people eat cold food because you’re sucking face with Barold, it’s your tips on the line,” he called out.
Thirty seconds and several hushed whispers and clatters later, Lup emerged from the stockroom, smoothing down her apron haughtily.
“Is this all the thanks I get for covering for you while you and Greg Grimaldis hit second base last week?” she asked, loading the plates onto her tray.
“You don’t get any credit for that, because I was helping you get that fifteen dollars back,” he reminded her, expertly flipping beignets over in the fryer. Lup stuck her tongue out at him, and put on her customer face.
Thirty seconds later, Barry Bluejeans sheepishly peeked his head out.
“Hey, Taako, you know Lup and I were just--” he started.
“Sucking face, yes I’m aware,” Taako answered, rolling his eyes and adding a garnish to a dish of gumbo. “You’ve got more people to seat,” he added, nodding towards the front, and Barry hustled out to greet them and inform them that yes there would be a 45 minute wait for a table. The restaurant had only opened half an hour ago, but Taako suspected it was going to be packed all day.
-
The restaurant was packed all day. Or at least, it had been packed since they opened to the public all the way up to Taako’s much-needed midafternoon break.
Taako slumped into one of the plastic garden chairs they kept in the alley behind the shop, and pulled out his phone to see what his immeasurably luckier friends were up to. He had approximately one billion notifications, most of them blurry selfies and group photos.
Julia sitting on Magnus’ shoulders, resting a drink on his head. Sloane at the wheel of a golf cart with Hurley sitting on the top, throwing candy. A video of Killian winning a pushup contest with Carrie perched on her back. Merle double-fisting drinks with several leis wrapped around his neck. Lucretia looking completely deadpan while covered with glitter and drinking something out of a coconut with a straw. Taako was about to send back a self deprecating selfie featuring his very stained apron when the hottest guy he’d ever seen hopped the fence into the alley.
Taako had never been speechless before in his life. The mysterious stranger was shirtless, but wearing an honest-to-gods cloak, and a half skull mask. His long locs were tied back in a ponytail. He was wearing a top hat and gloves. How it was possible to be attractive with half your face covered, Taako didn’t know, and he didn’t care.
Mysterious Stranger, probably mistaking Taako’s ogling as accusatory, began shuffling sideways towards the packed street, avoiding eye contact.
“I’m… I ah… excuse me, I’m… let me just…” he continued to hedge, eyes darting between his feet and the opening to the alley. Taako’s dumbfounded gaze followed him until he disappeared into the crowd.
It took a moment before Taako regained control over his higher brain functions. The first words out of his mouth were a much-belated “can I have your number?”
-
“So let me get this straight,” Lup said through a mouthful of shrimp and rice, “You need my help finding, and I quote, ‘the hottest guy you’ve ever seen who looks like a combination of Michael B Jordan and Lenny Kravitz’ who is dressed up as Baron Samedi on Fantasy Mardi Gras. ”
“Exactly,” Taako replied, steepling his fingers together, determinedly, “I think between the three of us we can cover the whole city in a few hours.”
Very gently, and remembering the hostage negotiator’s tactics from last night’s Criminal Minds binge, Lup said, “You know you’re my brother and I love you dearly, but I am not closing the restaurant to help you comb Neverwinter for your latest crush.”
Taako deflated, but Lup continued.
“What I will do, because you’re my brother and I love you dearly, is take over running it with Barry, and give you the afternoon off.”
Taako was torn between wanting to quip about what ‘running it with Barry’ was likely to mean and acknowledging that this was likely the greatest act of kindness he’d ever been shown in his life. The quip won.
“Ah yes, the grand sacrifice of getting paid to flirt with your boyfriend all day. What a gift you’ve given me LuLu, truly I’m eternally grateful-”
He’s cut off by a mostly good natured shove from his sister.
“Don’t test my generosity, Koko,” she warns, “Now go out there and find your boy!”
Taako didn’t need to be told twice. He’s out the door and on the phone with-- fuck.
He’s going to have to call Angus.