[The extra five minutes aren't needed, Takeshi's current customer definitely not the sort to want goodbye cuddles. Which means that when he opens the door for Iggy, the room's clean, he's clean, and he's already onto his second drink.]
Want to tell me what happened to your robe?
[Heading back into the room proper, clearly expecting Iggy to follow. As greetings go, it's not the worst Takeshi's ever given.]
[Iggy breezes in, all smiles. At the question he sighs dramatically.]
A combination of stains and tears. Some people are animals when they get too repressed. I'm not bad with a needle and thread but it's not worth mending at this point.
[Takeshi's one step ahead, already pouring a second glass. His expression's pointed as he brings it over, though, grip firm to prevent it being quickly taken.]
[Iggy always seems like he should be short. He's slim and soft and campy and anybody who hasn't seen him standing tends to assume he'll have to look up to them.
He's nearly as tall as Kovacs, so he can look him dead in the eye when he nods.]
If I have trouble I can't handle, I call you.
But only if you have trouble you can't handle, you call me.
[Takeshi thinks that's incredibly unlikely to happen, which is why he finds it so easy to say:]
Deal.
[And releases the glass, finally. Takes a heavy sip of his own as he makes his way to the room's loveseat, slouches down on it like he's more liquid than muscle.]
So. Nurse costumes. Just woke up inspired, or did something specific set this off?
[Junpei isn't a name Takeshi's come across before, but he takes note, considers whether he'll need to go to the effort of checking if he also needs a Terminator on speed dial. But it's Iggy that has his attention in the moment. The company House kept was a powder keg waiting to blow, and he wonders how close Iggy might have gotten himself into the blast radius. He shrugs.]
That little trip we took in the Void had me working for him. Maybe he has issues fucking subordinates.
[He doesn't believe that's the case for a second.]
Edited (powder kegs don't just happen lmao) 2023-11-26 21:54 (UTC)
[Professional is a funny term to be applied to House, considering how unprofessional that particular false Takeshi had considered him to be about his actual job. Considering how they'd just ruled out the fact House wouldn't fuck a subordinate.]
I'm just here for the bathtub benefits. You really sold them.
I like a few things about a lot of people. People are fascinating and I love them, it's part of why I work here.
[Iggy snorts.]
I really did. Those, admittedly, are a valid reason for employment. I'm gonna have such a good scrub before I go home. I've earned it - I had a guy with the nastiest toenails I've ever seen in my life. So distracting.
[Takeshi gives him an I just got comfortable look, which goes completely against how fluidly he'd sunk into the seat in the first place. Probably why he doesn't go so far as to voice it, just puts his glass down and stands.]
Loving people is a better reason to end up in this line of work than most I've met.
[It's a pebble skimmed over the surface of a very deep, dark pond. Curious to see if Iggy's aware of how deep. How dark. Or if he'd prefer not to look at it at all.]
[Iggy shrugs and moves to measure Takeshi's chest.]
Well. I was created to help people.
[Stated like it's a fact, not an opinion. He studies Takeshi's eyes.]
I don't believe for one second that you do this just for the baths. And I know you probably don't do it for the same reasons I do. I'm dumb, but I'm not that stupid. But I think whatever reasons you do have should be respected and I'm not gonna judge you for them.
I'm also perfectly aware of how and why a lot of people wind up here unplanned.
[He measures his waist, then his hips. Every measurement he jots down quickly on a scrap of paper with a pencil.]
I did a version of this back home. I've seen it. Desperate people backed into corners. Addictions. Stuff that I'm pretty sure was even worse. Stuff that happens when you can't get legal protection.
[Another shrug, and he steps back. He smiles.]
There! So I can buy us some cute outfits. Get all the sweet tips.
You're not dumb or stupid, Iggy. [Sincere. Something a touch apologetic in the tone, for having implied it. For not telling Iggy the truth of why he here's. Not telling him much at all.] The world I'm from has a disease. It's rotten. You don't want to hear about it.
[Melodramatic, he can almost hear Quell saying. She doesn't sound like she disagrees with him.
He turns to reclaim his seat. Take a deep sip of his drink.]
"Created." That literal, or just a turn of phrase?
[Is all he says to that. No conceding to tell Iggy anything, just agreement. Takeshi's lived with other people's judgement for as long as he can remember, and it's never stopped him doing anything. He doesn't want to hear any of his bullshit himself, is all. Dredge it up here, when he could instead pretend he could leave it behind.]
AI don't bother pretending to be human, and people in synthetic bodies usually chose them for the mods. [He gestures with his glass.] They're the closest to "robot" I know of, and you're definitely not either.
Yeah, definitely. I doubt my family would approve. But I dunno, I think it counts.
People get lonely, you know? I can take that away for a while, and give them someone non judgemental to talk to. And here, well, we provide a way for people to stay safe if they're not comfortable fucking people they know or whatever.
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[Which he does. And he even knocks.]
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Want to tell me what happened to your robe?
[Heading back into the room proper, clearly expecting Iggy to follow. As greetings go, it's not the worst Takeshi's ever given.]
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A combination of stains and tears. Some people are animals when they get too repressed. I'm not bad with a needle and thread but it's not worth mending at this point.
Drink? ...by which I mean, get me one?
[As he pulls a tape measure from his pocket.]
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You shouldn't let people fuck up your things.
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Yes, well, we're not all built like the fucking Terminator, sweetie.
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[Grip still tight. He's not letting go until he's sure Iggy understands.]
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He's nearly as tall as Kovacs, so he can look him dead in the eye when he nods.]
If I have trouble I can't handle, I call you.
But only if you have trouble you can't handle, you call me.
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Deal.
[And releases the glass, finally. Takes a heavy sip of his own as he makes his way to the room's loveseat, slouches down on it like he's more liquid than muscle.]
So. Nurse costumes. Just woke up inspired, or did something specific set this off?
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Junpei bitching about people at the clinic getting all touchy with him. Clearly there's a market for naughty nurses.
Also House will probably find it hilarious. I love that guy, he's a riot. You fuck him yet?
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That little trip we took in the Void had me working for him. Maybe he has issues fucking subordinates.
[He doesn't believe that's the case for a second.]
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Yeah, no he doesn't. Anyway, he's actually a good customer - very professional. I like that about him.
Are you liking the job?
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Sounds like you like a few things about him.
[Professional is a funny term to be applied to House, considering how unprofessional that particular false Takeshi had considered him to be about his actual job. Considering how they'd just ruled out the fact House wouldn't fuck a subordinate.]
I'm just here for the bathtub benefits. You really sold them.
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[Iggy snorts.]
I really did. Those, admittedly, are a valid reason for employment. I'm gonna have such a good scrub before I go home. I've earned it - I had a guy with the nastiest toenails I've ever seen in my life. So distracting.
[Iggy sets his drink aside and claps his hands.]
Okay! Let me measure you, you ginormous hottie.
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Loving people is a better reason to end up in this line of work than most I've met.
[It's a pebble skimmed over the surface of a very deep, dark pond. Curious to see if Iggy's aware of how deep. How dark. Or if he'd prefer not to look at it at all.]
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Well. I was created to help people.
[Stated like it's a fact, not an opinion. He studies Takeshi's eyes.]
I don't believe for one second that you do this just for the baths. And I know you probably don't do it for the same reasons I do. I'm dumb, but I'm not that stupid. But I think whatever reasons you do have should be respected and I'm not gonna judge you for them.
I'm also perfectly aware of how and why a lot of people wind up here unplanned.
[He measures his waist, then his hips. Every measurement he jots down quickly on a scrap of paper with a pencil.]
I did a version of this back home. I've seen it. Desperate people backed into corners. Addictions. Stuff that I'm pretty sure was even worse. Stuff that happens when you can't get legal protection.
[Another shrug, and he steps back. He smiles.]
There! So I can buy us some cute outfits. Get all the sweet tips.
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[Melodramatic, he can almost hear Quell saying. She doesn't sound like she disagrees with him.
He turns to reclaim his seat. Take a deep sip of his drink.]
"Created." That literal, or just a turn of phrase?
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I'm a little dumb. It's okay.
...you can tell me. I won't look at you any differently or anything.
[Iggy rolls up his tape measure.]
Turn of phrase, I guess. Like I'm not a robot secretly, although wouldn't that be kind of funny? Like if I just never told anyone.
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[Is all he says to that. No conceding to tell Iggy anything, just agreement. Takeshi's lived with other people's judgement for as long as he can remember, and it's never stopped him doing anything. He doesn't want to hear any of his bullshit himself, is all. Dredge it up here, when he could instead pretend he could leave it behind.]
AI don't bother pretending to be human, and people in synthetic bodies usually chose them for the mods. [He gestures with his glass.] They're the closest to "robot" I know of, and you're definitely not either.
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I guess 'created' is a weird word to use. I was raised religious, so when we would say it we meant like... God had a plan for you, is all.
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So His plan for you was to help people.
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Yeah, exactly. [He smiles.] So! I do. It helps that I enjoy it.
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I think there's people that'd argue your interpretation.
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Yeah, definitely. I doubt my family would approve. But I dunno, I think it counts.
People get lonely, you know? I can take that away for a while, and give them someone non judgemental to talk to. And here, well, we provide a way for people to stay safe if they're not comfortable fucking people they know or whatever.
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