prismatica | [video] July 16th: Employment Opportunities [cw: sex work/prostitution]

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[video] July 16th: Employment Opportunities [cw: sex work/prostitution]

[Hanzo is positioned in the same way in front of the camera as he was the last time he had to make a message like this, but this time his hair is overgrown and white, but he has the wild locks pushed over one shoulder making it seem just a bit neater.]

Hello again. This is Hanzo Shimada.

Last month I asked if there would be any interest in a brothel catering to Moonblessed, and while there were a lot of people who did not understand or did not approve of the concept, there were also those who did show interest. Some who were not interested also voiced approval for the idea.

So on the first day of this month's triple moon cycle, I would like to announce the opening of Flux. We are located on Level 3.

We have job openings for paid moonlacing partners as well as security personnel. Please let me know if you are interested, and I will provide more information to you. Otherwise if you have questions, I have time to answer them.

Thank you.

[Before ending the video, he leaves his desk to go to the outside of the building for a good shot of the entrance should anyone prefer speaking with him in person instead.]

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[Brutally honest or not, Zenyatta is not to be deterred.]

Then please allow me to prepare something for you. Can you tolerate most spicy food?

[The last thing he wants to do is burden the monk with having to care for him, but at the mention of spicy food he is trapped and cannot refuse. Or rather, won't refuse.]

Yes.

Wonderful. I shall be with you in an hour or so- and I shall not expect you to share when I arrive.

[In fact he isn't even sure if Genji will be home at all when he appears on Hanzo's doorstep bearing a large covered pan, wrapped in a blanket and emanating a fragrant, meaty scent. Once more, Zenyatta quietly marvels over the novelty of truly being able to appreciate the smell of food during the Cordis moon- the harmony of what he assumes must be flavours rather than chemical profiles.

It is the little things that count.]

[He wants to argue, but he knows it's likely to be pointless, so instead he agrees without complaint. Besides, having an excuse to see Zenyatta again is never a bad thing. So while the thought of being such a burden troubles him, it's made better by his selfish desire to be in the monk's company for a while.

Hanzo lets Zenyatta inside, smelling the food long before he'd actually stepped to the door so he knew to expect him.]

Come in. Make yourself comfortable. [It's strange to hold himself back from offering to make tea or something, but he's almost certain Zenyatta can't drink tea.]

[The occupation of both of Zenyatta's hands does not prevent him from reaching for Hanzo with a third as he enters, cupping his cheek with a ghostly hardlight hand for a few moments to savour smooth skin and silky beard, his thumb skirting the fullness of his lower lip.]

It is so good to see you.

[- dearheart, he almost adds. But there is still part of him that dare not risk overfamiliarity, even if it feels to him like the most natural thing in the world.]

Here.

[Moving ahead, he places the pot down in the kitchen and removes the lid to a fragrant puff of steam.]

I have not had a chance to seek a second opinion, given the ingredients I had to substitute, but I am fairly confident in its quality.

[Hanzo opens his mouth but shuts it immediately when Zenyatta's extra "hand" catches his face in it. He simply sighs in defeat, pressing his face against the attention. Whether or not the monk is able to feel anything against the hardlight projections is unknown to him, but he can certainly feel and appreciate the contact.]

You as well.

[It's always a pleasure to see Zenyatta. Like a glimpse of sunlight on a rainy day.]

It smells delicious. You really should not have. [Not only is he capable of cooking for himself, but he hates the idea that he's made himself a burden to the monk, even if he'd never say so himself.] But, still, thank you. I have not had the energy to do much cooking myself.

[These brief moments of intimacy come to Zenyatta as if he were diving for pearls; he touches Hanzo with his fingertips and it is worth the threat of the ocean weighing down on him. He could put his arms around him, all of them, real and unreal, as if he might come apart without them.

He misses it, he knows, when they are apart.]

Nonsense. I enjoyed making it. [For a moment his voice is cautious, perhaps a touch embarrassed, though he cannot allow the feeling to linger for long.] It pleases me to think that you are being taken care of.

[Because he certainly cannot trust Hanzo to take care of himself when he has his mind set on something. He pauses.]

Your tenacity can be self-destructive.

[If Zenyatta insists he supposes he could be more grateful for the effort put into something like this.]

Ah, so your kindness is selfish, then? [He teases. Of course the monk wouldn't go out of his way to do something like this for selfish reasons, but the absurdity of the accusation is what makes it particularly amusing to him. But Hanzo's sense of humor is peculiar at times.]

I cannot argue with that. [It had gotten so bad that his joints had began to stiffen up like they were crystalizing from the inside, but at the moment he's not visibly showing any symptoms outside of his fatigue.] Do you mind if I eat now? This seems like the sort of thing to taste better hot.

Join me?

[Peculiar at times, perhaps, but Zenyatta chuckles regardless, soft and approbative as he finally permits himself to relax entirely into Hanzo's presence. When was, he wonders, the last time he felt so distinctly aware of himself in another's company? The earliest days spent with Genji, maybe, or...]

Utterly selfish. How else shall I foist my presence upon you when you are too exhausted to properly receive it?

[Beneath the good-humour, though, he scarcely needs to be invited at all to Hanzo's side; within moments he's settled next to him, chin resting daintily on the heel of one palm.]

Should I remind you to chew?

[Hanzo feels relief in the fact that Zenyatta is so unbothered by his sense of humor that he returns jest just as easily.]

How inappropriate for a monk to behave in such ways. Perhaps you have spent so much time with me that you have lost your ability to be selfless. [He allows himself to laugh softly, nudging Zenyatta playfully prior to making quick work of sitting at the nearby table to eat. He's thankful for the kindness and the company. Hopefully it's covered by the itadakimasu and instant shoveling of food into his mouth.]

This is delicious. [He speaks from behind his hand because he's a firm enough believer in manners to not want to speak to the Shambali with a full mouth. He's eating like he hasn't in days, and maybe that might be true.]

Ah, yes. Your terrible influence must be the cause of it all.

[Spoken as if watching Hanzo eat does not fill his spirit with an immense quiet, as if nothing in the world could be quite so satisfying as keeping him strong- or, indeed, if he examines his own feelings with perfect honesty, earning his approval.]

I am glad to hear it. It has been quite some time since I last cooked it.

[And here is where he would normally falter, Zenyatta knows, and shift the subject sideways, because the most natural progression for him is to the sensitive matter of Genji: his pain, his growth, his reincarnation.

But they cannot hide forever.]

Not since Genji and I still travelled together, I believe. He was still acclimatising to his tastebuds at the time- I had to triple most of the spices for him. Needless to say, it did make sharing our meals with strangers somewhat difficult...

Unfortunately I am unsure how good I might be at keeping a distance, so entertaining that solution is pointless.

[He smiles briefly, taking another healthy bite of food. It doesn't help with how low on chroma he is, but it does clearly satisfy his hunger as he eats. Naturally improved by the fact that it's delicious.

And then Zenyatta mentions his brother and his mood seems to calm dramatically as he listens. While he knows that the monk helped him through that time of his life, he's never gotten the chance to hear anything specifically about it. Angela had also been wary of bringing any of it up.]

I see. [He slows down with eating, but can't figure out what he wants to say. Instead he remains silent, equally hoping Zenyatta might tell him more and stop talking because hearing about it hurts as well. Though it's nothing like the pain Genji must have gone through, he can handle it.]

[Hanzo's response is cautiously neutral, but the fact that he responds at all is more than Zenyatta could ever ask of him. The omnic pauses as he lapses into silence, trying to gauge the atmosphere- the tension in his brow, the way he seems to wilt like new blossoms in a downpour- before he decides to continue. Hanzo lives with Genji now, and even if they were not their lives here are so much more intimately intwined than they were in their own world; they share friends, lovers, lives...

Zenyatta hums softly.]

It is unfortunate that he could not teach me many of your childhood recipes. I had wanted to help him feel more at home [I have no home, he'd told him once, and the look in his eyes had felt like the depths of winter] but my attempts to replicate them based on his descriptions alone were not overly successful.

[brightly] I suppose it would help if I could eat my own creations. Perhaps you could assist me, in the future?

[Hanzo relaxes and continues to take more moderate bites of food while he listens to the monk speak. It's not until he mentions recipes that he wonders how it is that Zenyatta manages to prepare delicious food when he's not able to taste or eat it himself. He hums, swallowing what was in his mouth before responding.]

I can show you what little I know about cooking. [He's being modest here. It's weird to brag about your cooking skills when the thing you've trained your life for is fighting.]

Of course. I would love to. We can perfect your creations with feedback, though if this is any sign, it may not need much improvement.

[That he might be downplaying his skills scarcely even occurs to Zenyatta; as open a mind as he tries to keep he has already assumed that Hanzo has never had to learn to cook, and that whatever he might have learned would have been picked up far later in his life... but then, he is a fast learner, and a devoted one at that...]

Wonderful! I look forward to it. [wryly] It is not often we share such- peaceful moments with one another. As I recall, the last time I took care of you, you tried to have sex with me. Admittedly, I do not have the same reservations in that regard as I did then, but...

[He gives a deep, heartfelt sigh. If Hanzo weren't eating he'd have to touch him somehow- his shoulder, his hair, his thigh- just for the simple pleasure of contact.]

It is good to simply exist in your presence.

[Hanzo means to protest, but he can't argue that things didn't go exactly like that. So he offers a nervous laugh, one iconic of a man guilty as accused.]

Are you saying you are not worried that I may try to do so again?

[His expression changes to one that's more mischievous, and unlike the monk, he has no reservations about reaching over to touch Zenyatta's forearm. He's a lot less shy about contact now that they've been through terribly intimate scenarios. There's little room for bashfulness at this point.]

It is good to have you in my presence. For many reasons.

[That laugh, Zenyatta decides, is adorable, though he is wise enough to keep that particular thought to himself; should he draw attention to it he does not doubt for a second that Hanzo would stop doing it, and that would be quite frankly criminal.

He simply hums, cocking his head to one side as if in deep contemplation.]

"Worried" is not the word I would use. In fact, I hope that I may count upon a repeat performance in the future, albeit with a different outcome. But my current concern is ensuring you have the strength to perform in the first place, be it for me or the sake of your business.

[Because he suspects that he knows what Hanzo means by those reasons. Self-care is a skill that Hanzo has yet to fully master.]

[He doesn't stop just yet. Zenyatta doesn't seem to be complaining, and he may be just a bit more willing to see where it goes. The chroma is also welcome.]

A repeat performance? [Hanzo hums like he's contemplating the offer. There's not much to consider since he's already on board, but giving the impression that he's got some amount of modesty left in him when it comes to Zenyatta may not be so terrible.]

What exactly is it that you are looking for this time? In terms of outcome.

[He dismisses the notion that he can't manage in this state with a wave of his hand.]

While I appreciate your concern, I assure you, I will be fine. Try not to concern yourself with my well-being. I have lived this long, so I should be fine for a while longer.

[Small though it may be, that little shiver of chroma between them is, as always, intoxicating. Before he can help it he's shuffling his seat closer until he's as near as he can be to Hanzo without abandoning it altogether and climbing into his lap. Which would probably put him off his food, or, at the very least, distract him from it considerably...

But first. He hums softly, nudging Hanzo in the side.]

I might as well ask that you try not to breathe- but I do not wish to fuss over you, if that is what concerns you.

[As if he isn't casually taking the chopsticks from Hanzo's hand and picking up a piece of meat for him as he continues, holding it just out of reach.]

As for outcomes... I am not hoping for a great deal. Simply ending the night beside you is all I ask. [a beat- then, almost confidentially:] I suppose I have a... a small, secret passion for watching humans sleep. It makes you honest.

[Hanzo finds himself smiling at the nudge. Already he seems to be in higher spirits than before, and all of that is to Zenyatta's credit.]

That is what concerns me, but it seems it can't be helped if you equate it with drawing breath. [His attention shifts immediately to the meat Zenyatta now has between the borrowed chopsticks. Hanzo leans forward toward it instinctively, mouth open slightly.]

I would like that. Spending the night with you, waking up with you. I have to ask, though. [He tries again to get to the meat.] Does it not get boring after a while?

[At Hanzo's first attempt he draws back almost absent-minded, as if he isn't purposefully pulling it just out of reach as soon as it comes close to touching his lips.

But it is difficult to tease while Hanzo is smiling like that. After a moment or two longer Zenyatta finally gives in and deposits the morsel into his waiting mouth.]

Occasionally. But it is worthwhile, too. [He replaces the chopsticks and continues in a soft, thoughtful tone that perhaps conveys something of a frown.] You suffer from nightmares, do you not? Sometimes it is helpful, to be woken up before they can take root.

[Hanzo's not sure at what point he became this comfortable with Zenyatta to accept food from his hand, but here they are. And ultimately he's fed without too much teasing, although the playful nature of it isn't something he minds. No one else is observing them, so he doesn't mind showing this part of himself to the monk.]

Yes, occasionally. [More often than not, but they've grown less frequent as of late. He imagines it's due to his reconciliation with his brother.]

Your kindness never fails to disarm me.

[Zenyatta laughs. It is a quiet, almost wistful sound that is not totally without mirth, but which ends with more restraint than it ordinarily would.]

We all have the potential to be kind. I have simply had more practise at it than some- and you have not been shown enough of it in your lifetime. [But that is obviously not what is lingering in his thoughts; only after a moment or two of silence does he continue.] I cannot call it insight in this instance. I speak from personal experience. I found it difficult to offline peacefully for a number of weeks after Mondatta's death.

[Of course Zenyatta would think that. If he couldn't believe everyone has the potential for good, that would alienate people from being helped, and Hanzo is fairly certain the monk wants to do good for every being. It's such a positive existence that Hanzo can't possibly imagine how it must feel.

Especially not when he has a past like his. Atoning for that sort of thing can't be possible, even if Zenyatta disagrees. Still, he--wait.]

Mondatta? Your brother? [He frowns. Hanzo relates somewhat, though not entirely. He did mourn Genji for all the years he believed him gone.]

I am sorry you had to experience that. His presence did a lot of good even if he was taken before his time. [Not that Hanzo knows the life expectancy of omnibus, but there was so much more work to be done to smooth human-omnic relations.] How did you overcome that?

[Zenyatta nods. He shifts just so, placing both hands into his lap as if afraid of what they might do, given free reign.]

No omnic has a "family" in the human sense of the word, strictly speaking. While we share the same schema, so do the thousands upon thousands of others of our model. When we- the Shambali, that is- chose to call each other brother and sister, we did so out of a desire to forge our own kind of kinship.

[A pause. His voice has been carefully neutral; he speaks in the kind of tone used to tell a fairytale.]

Yet the bond Mondatta and I shared... I wonder if it was not fated. When he passed, I felt as if I lost a part of myself. [Light spills across the rounded chrome of his brow as he glances sideways, briefly haloed.] I do not think I will ever overcome a loss so great. The hurt will live with me forever. But I must accept that it is as much a part of me as the joy we shared.

Edited 2019-08-27 20:38 (UTC)

[video] July 16th: Employment Opportunities [cw: sex work/prostitution]

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soft!

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