driftfleet | Libuscha IV System Mingle (no. 1)

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!

[See? This is what he gets for giving a shit. It isn't as bad as before, but still.

He jerks his head away and readjusts his hat, sticking his tongue out at her.]

I wasn't making a face. You must've been imagining shit.

[She sticks her tongue out right back at him, giggling between her teeth.]

You were! You were thinking, oh, this sadsack Lup, miserable over not getting to spend more time with the fab and famous Taako, from TV.

Well, everyone who doesn't get to bask in my glory is a sadsack, so yeah, you're not wrong there.

[He uses a Mage Hand to pick up a pillow off a lounge seat nearby and toss it in her direction. Raoul is finished with her nails at least, putting the cap back on polish bottle as he stands up.]

Ack-

[She lifts her drying hand to block the pillow with her palm though with how she's trying to carefully protect the fresh coat it bounces off and fluffs up her hair. She huffs, tilting her head back to brush it against the back of the chair to try and fix it, since she can't just run her fingers through it now.]

Brat. Get your guy to do the topcoat, it should be good by now.

[He sticks his tongue out at her again and tilts his head back, looking at the rack of polish behind them.]

Mmm, yeah, good idea. Raoul?

[The servant has already grabbed the polish bottle and is already back at their side by the time Taako's giving him a command. He holds a hand out and Taako obediently puts his hand forward as Raoul goes to work again.]

But for serious - don't be a sadsack. It's weird.

I'm not a sadsack.

[She shifts in her seat to put the thrown pillow up behind herself, arms slung over the back of the chair, fingers spread to let the nail polish dry in the warm sauna air. Her eyes close as she settles in to relax.]

I'm a fully realized creation, with emotions all my own.

[So, y'know, take that.]

[That line elicits a face from him and he rolls his eyes. She not only has his face, but his lines too? He wasn't even sure anyone but Merle, Magnus and Hurley had been around for that little rant of his, but the echoes of what he said ring in her words. Either she's a phenomenal stalker or the Red Robes were far too invested in his life.

He really hopes they weren't watching him in the bathroom or something.]

Yeah yeah, whatever. Where have I heard that before I wonder.

[It does make him uncomfortable though. Hearing the echo like that. Like the static in his head and the blanks in his memory, it all puts him on edge.

But now isn't the time to think of that. He's in his Pocket Spa, it's time to relax and let someone else paint his nails and then maybe go sit in the sauna until he dies from heat exhaustion because it's better than freezing his ass off on the planet.]

And you looked like a sadsack earlier; just saying.

[She's quiet for a bit, just relaxing in place, humming an acknowledgment that yeah, maybe she was- or maybe she wasn't. Much like him, her willingness to share how she's feeling is often limited to those who are likely to care, and he... isn't always included in that list, now. She's learned that well, and it's something that can only be changed with time. Plus she came here to apologize, not bring him down with her emotional issues. This is spa time, which means relaxation time, which means shut-up-and-don't-be-sad time.

She can do that much, for him. She'd rather have this be one-sided more often than to not have it at all.

Silence doesn't suit them, though, so after a moment she does respond.]

You weren't kidding about this place healing- I feel better already.

[Sometimes the soul needs a bit of healing too, that's all.]

[Things go quiet between them other than Lup's humming and Taako chances closing his eyes, relaxing into the feeling of someone painting his nails. It was a luxury to begin with back home, even getting polish had been hard, and it never stuck around long since he was constantly on the run, constantly fighting. But when he could? Oh, he loved to be pampered.

When she breaks the quiet, he opens one eye to look at her.]

Taako's always right, babe; you should know that by now.

[He lets his head flop back as Raoul works on his hands.]

Ugh, makes me wish I could just sleep in here, but there's no beds. So I guess that's a point in your mystery mansion's favor.

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