driftfleet | Libuscha IV System Mingle (no. 1)

[Wait.

Waaaaaaaait.]

That was- that nerdlord's lab, right? With the robots? I remember- hearing about that! So that was Magic Brian...

[And here she thought he was just one of the robot souls from the world where they'd found the crystal who must have recognized him. This is way more fun.]

So you heard of that somehow too, huh? [He's not even going to ask how because it's weird enough that she knows so much about his life, but doesn't know the first adventure he ever went on. He nearly died on that one, if it hadn't been for a healing potion and some quick thinking, he's pretty sure that would have been his first and last. After that, his luck seemed to have held out pretty damn well.]

Yuuuup, that's him-- was him. The loser extraordinaire.

It can't be too surprising. Our gloomy Red Robe friend came to visit you there, too.

[That night had been especially hard; Barry had been trying his damndest to tell them about the Hunger without actually telling them and ending up with static, and then it had all derailed when he'd noticed the Umbra Staff. Watching him fall apart and vanish, distressed about her absence, when she was right there the whole time... yeah, that'd been awful. She'd been worried sick that he'd lost control of his lich form until he appeared again in Wonderland.

Better to focus on the magic idiots Taako kept fighting.]

You sure end up meeting a lot of people who come back from the dead one way or another. No wonder you caught the eye of a reaper.

Yeah, that nerd is almost as good at finding us as you.

[He always seemed to show up at the end things though and they always forgot they weren't supposed to talk to him. What else were they to do? Stare dumbly at someone talking to them?]

But ha! Yeah I mean, we kill a lot of people, so it's bound happen eventually. Law of necromantic probability or some shit. I'm surprised we haven't been dragged to spooky prison yet honestly.

Pretty sure you have to willingly do actual spooky crimes to get arrested for spooky jail time. Do you even know any necromancy spells?

[Even during the lost century of memories, Taako was never that into it. Necromancy was usually too creepy and gruesome for either of them- she didn't mind but didn't prefer them, either, and Taako liked the fun, flashy stuff. Lup herself likely wouldn't know any if not for Barry's influence.]

Ugh.

[His face and that one word should tell her all she needs to know. He isn't into death even tangentially except where Death is a hot guy with a great ass.]

Taako's not about that undead life. No thanks.

[She laughs.]

Yeah, didn't think so. Those spells don't suit you, anyway. All corpse-this and zombie-that - it can get a little smelly. Stick with Garyl and the tentacles.

[She finishes glazing polish over the last nail, and leans back, satisfied.]

Finito! The base coat, that is.

I could be one hell of a bangin' necromancer if I wanted to be, buuuuut I don't wanna so? Yeah, no thanks.

[He inspects the nails and clicks his tongue in quiet approval. Alright, they're back at an unsteady equilibrium for now. It's more unsteady on his end than hers, but that's how it usually is with them. It's easy to just fall back into an easy routine of careless banter with her, which is, honestly, the most dangerous thing about her. It's so easy to forget that they're technically enemies (according to the Director) when all the things she does and says are usually in service to him.]

Nice job on 'em. Do I get to have you do my topcoat too, or is that for me to do on my lonesome?

[She just smirks at the idea of Taako the Necromancer- mostly because he'd look absurd in the stereotypical bland black robes. They would definitely need some modifications before he'd even touch 'em. Plus that would make things awkward with Kravitz.]

I'd planned on doing it- may as well finish the job and not leave it half-assed. That isn't my style.

[As if that's her only motivation.]

We ought to give it time to dry or it'll just smear, though, so let's do mine while we wait.

[She reaches for the colour he'd picked out for her, intending to start on her own nails.]

[He could probably do the topcoat on his own - he's done it for years anyway. He could also send her out with the nail polish and let her do it on her own. He could offer to do it for her, but... That wasn't really his style, was it.

He sits back while she picks up the nail polish, blowing on his fingertips.

It's easy to forgive her after getting the Umbra Staff back, honestly, and that concerns him. Should it be? Shouldn't he still be mad or cautious or...something? But instead, he just holds out his free hand for the polish bottle, not knowing why he does or why he cares so much about some weird-ass stranger that shares his face.]

Honestly, if we're both going to do our nails, I might as well make it easier on both of us.

[She's surprised, but she only lets it show for a moment, quickly smoothing over her expression and offering the bottle out to him with a small smile before she can finish uncapping it. It's loose for him now, so at least he doesn't have to try to wrestle with it while his nails are still drying.]

I dig the path of least resistance route, myself. Plus I'm kinda terrible at doing my own left hand, so for the sake of style, hey- I'll take it. Thanks.

[She wants to tease him for his indulgence, but they're not back to equilibrium, not yet. She doesn't want to end up getting kicked out for the sort of behaviour and gentle bickering that he's not used to.

Instead she offers her hand out to him. It's not as soft and pampered as his own - she's done a lot more melee fighting than him, since she gets weirdly up close and personal in fights, for a wizard - but she's got nice skin and the shape of her hands is as identical as (most of) the rest of him.]

Aren't we all?

[He takes the polish bottle, but then closes it carefully rather than start her nails. It strikes him how weird it still is to see how similar and dissimilar they are as he looks at her hand. Other than the slight rough patches where she's obviously been fighting, they're identical in almost every way.

Taako jumps off the bed and shakes the polish bottle as he kicks pillows and junk out of the way to clear the floor.]

I mean, not me, because I'm amazing at whatever I do, but I get that not everyone can - or should - be as wonderful as Taako.

[With the floor mostly cleared, he pops a piece of canvas out from a hiding place and it snaps up like a tent instantly. Then he steps aside and jerks his thumb toward the entrance.]

Or as benevolent. Come on, nerd.

[She's taken aback for a moment - disappointed, briefly, when he withdraws his hand and she pulls back her own as he moves away - but then when she notices the spa she can't help her eyes just lighting up, ears perked up towards the ceiling as it clicks. Oh!]

Shit, you got the Pocket Spa!? When did that happen? And it works, too!

[She scurries off the bed and moves to the door, peering inside. She's never been in before, not exactly, and through the umbrella it's always a bit too foggy to really see anything. Plus the heat just doesn't carry through a magic artifact at all.]

The tree isn't shitty to everyone, I guess.

[He'd gone down there with a vengeance after they'd had their argument. He'd thrown everything he had at it and nothing had worked until Thor had stumbled upon him and they'd actually done the one thing he was terrible at: talking honestly. Then the Pocket Spa had appeared and Taako had booked it as far from any semblance of feelings as he could.

When Lup peers inside, she'll see the pocket dimension, steamy, but comfortable. There's a sauna and a massage table, some chairs and cucumber sandwiches on a small table with lemon water in a pitcher, and more importantly? There's a non-descript looking person in there, like a servant waiting idly, the sort of humanoids that aren't really people but do a good job of performing tasks like people anyway. Along one wall of the spa is a small alcove with nail polish bottles lined up, with two colors missing.]

Are you going in or what?

Don't have to ask me twice.

[She marches right in without further hesitation, breathing in deep and shrugging off her jacket as the warm air within hits her. She folds the jacket over a chair and starts exploring: dipping her hand into the sauna water, snagging a cucumber sandwich to nibble, then wanders over to the person waiting to be directed. She can't really help herself- she waves her hand in front of his face.]

Who's this fella?

[Once she's inside, Taako glances back at the Umbra Staff where it's sitting on the shelf. He wants to take it with him, to feel safe with it by his side again, but he doesn't want her to freak out at the sight of it again. After a moment, he follows her in, still shaking the polish bottle.

Lup is running around, inspecting the area, and Taako rolls his shoulders, relaxing into the warm air. It's always the perfect temperature in here and he drops the polish bottle on the table next to the sandwiches. He tests his nails and notes that they're quite ready yet so he flops into one of the comfortable seats instead.]

Oh that? That's Raoul. He comes with this place - kinda like a.... [He pops his lips, trying to think of what to call it.] Employee? He does all the shit in here. Meaning he can paint our nails. Nothing fancy, but he can get it done. He? It? I have no idea. Raoul is Raoul.

[It doesn't react to its name or Lup waving a hand in its face. It's a blank slate until it's told to do something.]

[Huh, go fig. She'd never noticed the guy before, but usually she's just propped up against a wall somewhere or hanging on a hook. Shitty view like that. She steps back from the guy and shrugs her shoulders.]

Makes sense. The mansion comes with a bunch of servants sort of like this, though they're way more ghosty.

[She swings herself onto one of the chairs, settling in comfortably and propping her arm up against a side table.]

Raoul! Be a doll and paint my nails with that rad purple. I needs me some pampering!

I deffo do noooooot want a ghost giving me a massage.

[He waves the bottle of polish at Raoul though and at Lup's request, it just activates. He springs to life and walks forward, taking the polish from Taako's hands to turn and start painting Lup's nails. It starts with her left hand from the pinky.]

It's weird enough having mannequin man in here - useful, but weird.

[There's a beat and he smacks himself in the forehead.]

Oh dammit! I should have called him Manny!

[She snorts out a giggle, struggling to keep her hand still so Raoul doesn't mess up her paint. Manny, honestly. It's almost as absurd as naming mannequin Magnus "Woody".]

You could teeechnically rename him, since it's not like he'll care. Is that weird?

[It's a little weird.]

Naaaaaah.

[It would be kind of weird. He'd named him Raoul and just changing his name would just feel like....Not wrong? But more effort than he wanted to put into naming an extradimensional mannequin servant.

Taako reached over and took a sandwich, inspecting it to see if it had mint inside or not.]

He's already used to Raoul, maybe. Probably? I can't tell with him. But if he likes Raoul, I don't want to offend him.

[Raoul seems completely nonplussed as he continues to paint Lup's nails carefully, coat by coat, nail by nail.]

Sounds fair. I guess there's not really a way to tell how sentient ethereal servants are if they don't tell you.

[She hasn't tried chatting up the mansion servants or naming them, mostly because there's literally a hundred of them and she can't even tell them apart. Probably easier with just one distinct figure who may or may not be quasi-real.

Best not to overthink it.]

He's good at his job, at least.

Yeah and I honestly? Don't want to know.

[The idea of there being an actual, you know, boy sitting in his extradimensional spa all the time, stuck in servitude makes him uncomfortable. It's not like he pays this guy after all, and not like he can leave this place. He's a construct and Taako likes to leave it at that.

There's no mint in his sandwich which is a little disappointing, but it's not like he really expected high class sandwiches out of a pocket dimension.]

It's what he was made for, so yeah, he's damn good at it. One day, maybe I'll let you get a massage from him - that shit'll bring your HP right back.

You're an evil tease, you know that?

[Lup's tone borders on a low whine, stretching her limbs and sinking more comfortably into her chair. A massage sounds amazing, especially after spending that night first on a park bench and then on the Bloodsport's shitty couch. But, again- that was the bed she quite literally lay in, so she can only complain so much. Maybe the planet below has a good massage parlour or something.

Since she's just out of reach she sends a Mage Hand over to the snacks to bring her another cucumber sandwich and a glass of the water. The hand hovers the glass near Taako first- want some?]

You're like a billion levels above me in magic, so yeah. This is the only way I can get back at you without dying.

[He's joking. He thinks? He isn't sure, but he holds a hand up to refuse the water anyway, putting the sandwich back together to take a bite. He wishes there was mint in this.

Raoul finishes one of Lup's hands and holds out his hand for her other one, ready to move on to the next part of his task.]

Besides, you have a mansion. Can't you get one of your hundred servants to do a massage?

[Lup obliges and switches hands, examining her completed nails. Nice, nice. Probably a better job than she'd have done for herself, but arguably not as good as Taako.]

I could, yeah... it's not really their speciality, though, so I can't guarantee the quality. Their skills are kinda broad but generic, if that makes sense? This is a spa, it's meant for that sort of thing.

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