driftfleet | Libuscha IV System Mingle (no. 1)

[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.

[Taako nods along and bites into his sandwich, chewing as he uses it as an example.]

Totally get it. Like, he's amazing at massages, but this sandwich? Passable, not the best Could do with some mint or dill in the cream cheese.

[He pauses, watching Raoul work on Lup's other hand, silent like always.]

No offense, buddy. Just ain't your field.

See, that's where the mansion one-ups ya. The servants there can make some awesome food if you direct 'em properly, and they fluff up a pillow like no inn I've ever stayed at. They know how to make a place feel good and homey.

[Which, for people who didn't really have much of a home for hundred of years, was a nice treat once in a while.]

[That did sound nice, but it would mean entering her pocket dimension. He still wasn't entirely certain he wanted to risk that, not after witnessing what people like Jenkins could do with those little tricks. He has the Umbra Staff back at least, so he wouldn't exactly be helpless, but it isn't a situation he needs to go putting himself in until he's either desperate or...well, desperate.]

I'll give you that, but I prefer to make my own food nowadays.

[No chance that someone can slip arsenic in his meal that way. He pauses and waves the sandwich as he realizes how ironic that sounds after just eating in here.]

Usually.

Yeah, yeah.

[Her tone is dry, nonchalant. She's not even bothering to try inviting him into the mansion anymore, joking or otherwise- she knows what his response is going to be, some varying excuse that alludes (or outright declares) his lack of trust for her and her spells. Which is fine, she gets it, she's just tired of hearing it from him of all people.]

It's different when it's your pocket dimension, I think. Like trusting your own spell to do you right, because it's yours. Or at least because you bought it, whatever.

Yeah, the last time I did anything involving someone else's dimensional pocket whatever, the dumbass was a murderer who cut people's heads off.

[One head, but still.]

Dooooesn't exactly make me eager to go into anyone else's little hidey-hole or trust what comes outta it.

I guess that's a good reason for it, sure.

[She hums absently, blowing on her nails, and takes a quiet moment to sip at her drink. Overall, this place is... pretty nice. She might even model a room of the mansion based on it, since she has her doubts that Taako will be inviting her in on the regular.]

So long as the only thing Raoul's chopping is cucumbers, this place is stellar.

A lemons.

[He jerks a thumb at the pitcher of lemon slices in water and watches as Raoul finishes her index finger and starts on her thumb.]

So, you know, don't feel bad that I don't go rushing into your spooky mansion. Taako's just takin' things a little easy after seeing a guy's head come off in a dimensional door.

[She lifts her shoulders in a dismissive shrug.]

Dunno if feeling bad is accurate, I mean... not your fault or anything. You've got a reason and it's a good one. It's just that the place is big an' empty and wasted on one person.

[And lonely, if she were to be honest. Which she won't be. Her voice echoes in the desolate halls and no amount of magical reshaping can do much about that. She doesn't use the spell without a reason, now.

Eventually she'll get really good at lying to him about this stuff- she's sure getting plenty of practice in. For now, though, she fakes a smile and gestures a finger, and Mage Hand playfully flicks his hat forward over his eyes.]

So stop making that face at me!

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