Work Text:
The void incident was, for all the trouble it caused, a very convenient cut off point for Taranza.
He had involved himself pretty thoroughly in a major Dreamland event. He knew people now- kind of. Magolor and Susie weren’t Popstar natives, but they were there often enough. He also didn’t know either of them that well- but he could fix that! Maybe. Possibly.
Point was, he had an excuse to leave Floralia and plant himself somewhere new. They didn’t want him there anymore, obviously. The idiot who steered their Queen down the path of corruption. He had turned them all against Sectonia, and against himself as well. They weren’t even a monarchy anymore, so there was no need for a royal advisor, nor a royal gardener. It was with that thought that Taranza chose to gather up his tools and grovel to king Dedede for a groundskeeping job at the castle.
It was kind of shocking, how easily Dedede waved off Taranza’s apologies and offered him the castle grounds to “make pretty.” No mention of the dreamstalk or the fact that Taranza had quite literally kidnapped him. Just, “go topiary the bushes or something. Make us look better than those fairies from Ripple star.”
Taranza had never been to Ripple star, but assumes he can wipe the floor with them.
He’s scanning the mostly barren grass in the back courtyard when he hears footfalls near the entrance. “Taranza? ‘S that you?” Taranza jumped and spun around to see Magolor walking towards him. “It is! What brings you to the castle?”
Despite very much wanting to, Taranza hasn’t seen Magolor since the celebration capping off the Void incident. It’s been a few weeks, and he’d almost forgotten what a living lightbulb the man was. His grin was beaming through his voice and eyes, even with his mouth covered by his hood. Whatever melancholy was clinging to Taranza dissipated at the sight of him. “Magolor! Dedede hired me to landscape the area and I’m getting a lay of the land, so to speak.”
“Oh, I’m not getting in the way or something, am I?”
“Oh, no. Work doesn’t start for a week, I’m basically just strolling. Um, what brings you?”
“Also just wandering. Marx has a meeting with Dedede, he’s gonna be the official court jester! So they’re probably duct taping him to a chair to keep him still for all the paperwork now. I gotta fly him up to Nutty Noon after, so he can celebrate with all his buddies.”
“I wasn’t aware court jesters were still a thing?”
Magolor laughs, that high little giggle he does. “Neither did I until like a month ago. Have you been here long? Any ideas on what to like, do? I don’t know anything about gardens.”
Taranza wanders towards a wall lined with overgrown bushes. “These need to be trimmed, but I can likely just put in an order for some Dees to do that. What I want is to bring in some flowers. Waves of color to break up all the grass. Though which colors, I haven’t decided yet. I want to show at different times for a few days. Some gardens look best in certain lighting, and I want to be able to maximize that…” He notices Magolor looking a bit vacant and catches himself. “I’m sorry, this is probably really boring to you-“
“ No! Ah, no.” Magolor chuckles. “I’m just kinda- I dunno. You sounded kinda like me- o-or like Susie, when we get going about our machines. Passion’s always fun to listen to, even if I don’t get it. Dedede give you any guidelines? Whenever I’m working on something for him he’s got me on a tight leash lest I make him look bad.”
“Just to make it look better than what they have on Ripple star, which means nothing to me if I’m honest…”
“Oh, I’ve done work there! Appliance repairs and such. I never paid much attention to how the flowers looked, though.”
Taranza brightens at that, feeling himself smile. “Well then! If you didn’t even notice their efforts, it should be a cake walk to beat them.”
“Ha! You think? I’m not really into flora. Maybe I’m just bad at seeing pretty flowers.”
Taranza allows pride to well up in his chest. “The thing about flowers is that they’re beautiful, no matter what. A garden that’s well tended to gets noticed. Even if you don’t know the name of a single plant in it, a competent gardener will force you to look. If they couldn’t turn your head then they just weren’t competent. Not that you can expect the best outside of Floralia, it makes sense that no one here even tried.”
Magolor starts giggling again, bordering on a cackle. Taranza suddenly feels deeply embarrassed. He had a vain streak when it came to his work, but it was rare for him to get carried away like that and now he’s made a fool of himself in front of his charming and kind and wonderful new friend who is talking and you’re not listening-!
“There he is! Haha ha there you are! Susie’s all ‘he’s so snooty and mean’ and I’m like ‘whaa? He’s an Angel?’ But no you’re haughty as hell!” Another bout of laughter. “I hope someone else shows up who gardens just so I can watch the inevitable beef!”
Taranza clears his throat, praying his blush wasn’t visible. “I’m really not like that. I-I just got a little bit carried away, I-I’m sure Ripple Star is lovely and-“
Magolor gives Taranza a playful shove. “Knock it off, if anything I’m glad~ men like us need to know our value, it’s not easy being tough and cute and brilliant~” Magolor was going to kill him with that. “Total honesty, dude?” He grins so hard it makes his eyes squint as he pulls Taranza in closer. “I can tell I’m gonna like your meaner side best. It’s hard to relate to an Angel, y’know?”
He pulls away and Taranza feels like he’s jumped head first into a volcano with how hot his face is.
“Maaaaags!! I’m ready to go!!”
A childish voice rings out just outside of the courtyard, and grabs Magolor’s attention. “Ah, the kid’s loose and employed. I gotta get him to Kirby and whoever else he’s being a bad influence on. Ah!” Magolor pulls out a little notepad and scribbles something on it. “We’ve never exchanged numbers! Shoot me a text sometime, okay?”
Taranza wordlessly accepts the paper as Marx yells out again. Ten numbers, the text “Mags!” and a little doodle of a simple character wearing his signature hood in the corner. Charming.
“If I don’t go the kid’s gonna bite my head off. I’ll see you around?”
“Ah? Yes! I’ll keep in touch.”
“Nice! Bye~.”
Magolor leaves and Taranza stuffs the paper into his pocket and sits in the grass. He really has to do something about this crush.
That’s all it is. A crush. He’s nice to Taranza and is very pretty, but that doesn’t mean anything. Taranza isn’t meant for love. Full stop. Trying to pursue anything would at best make Magolor uncomfortable and destroy all the good will he’s gained with the man.
At worst, Taranza would find a way to get another sweet soul snuffed out.
Perhaps Marigolds would look nice.