[TOY] Plaything

[skinstealer]

POLKA DOT: Work went well, everything did, honestly…
POLKA DOT: Got to decorate the food I made and everything, surprisingly relaxing stuff.
LAURIE: A bit of creativity goes a long way for everyone here, both the patrons and the staff.
LAURIE: How was working with Vine?
POLKA DOT: She taught me a lot, and I think I’m getting the hang of working in the kitchen, but-
LAURIE: But?
POLKA DOT: I’m…worried I might not be up to snuff today, yknow?
POLKA DOT: Yesterday went so well-
 

And I wasn’t thinking about them

POLKA DOT: -and I’m worried I might not be able to pull it off. 
POLKA DOT: It’ll probably be fine, but…
LAURIE: Don’t worry. I’ll bring it up to Vine, make sure she puts you on duties that don’t overwhelm you.
POLKA DOT: Yeah…as much as I wanna just, dive right in, I think I gotta take it slow.
LAURIE: Easy enough, light help is better than no help, after all.
LAURIE: I’m not one to judge for needing lighter days.
LAURIE: Any reason? The sleep, maybe?
 

You feel self conscious as he brings it up again, shifting in your chair.

POLKA DOT: Well…
POLKA DOT: I mean, I slept! The bed was really nice!
LAURIE: Mhhm.
POLKA DOT: Best sleep I ever had, even!
 

…You realize that this actually isn’t a lie, somehow, and that makes you feel a bit sick to your metaphorical stomach. 

LAURIE: Well…I’m glad to hear it.
LAURIE: Newbies often find themselves with restless sleep after coming to our world, and I try not to put too much on them until everything balances out.
LAURIE: How about the pamphlet?
 

Relieved for a topic change, you pull it out of your pocket, looking at the cover. 

POLKA DOT: It’s…interesting. I looked over most of it, and I’m pretty sure I got a good grasp.
LAURIE: Most of it?
POLKA DOT: Didn’t get to the Techniques section, and I kind of, uh…skimmed the Anatomy one.
LAURIE: Out of all the sections, those are probably the least important to know going into this- even things like gear and kinks are important to know as a potential worker in Laundry or the playrooms. 
LAURIE: Techniques…are something you can discover and make your own. While it’s important to know what works for other people, it’s up to you to forge your own path with this kind of thing.
LAURIE: It’s very personal.
LAURIE: And as for anatomy, there’s no need to change anything if you’re comfortable with what your situation is. 
LAURIE: Many don’t. However, it is kind of fun to know what options there are, and explore those as well.
LAURIE: So…as far as knowledge for the job- to be clear, you did read the Safety section, yes?
POLKA DOT: As thoroughly as I could.
POLKA DOT: Made sure of it.
 

He looks relieved.

LAURIE: Good.
LAURIE: Then as I was saying- I think that’s enough to clear you for job privileges. 
POLKA DOT: Cool! I mean- cool.
POLKA DOT: I don’t…know if I’m ready to go to the playrooms yet, though- at the very least, not when there’s like…people in them.
POLKA DOT: I am curious about the pool, though…
LAURIE: You’re in luck, then.
 

He looks over with a twinkle in his eye.

LAURIE: A late night pool party wrapped up a few hours ago, going into the morning…
LAURIE: It’s been cleaned out by now, but there’s still another few hours before people have their lounge meetup there. 
LAURIE: It’d be the perfect opportunity for you to go peek your head in- no swimming of course, but you can take a look without worrying about getting in over your head.
LAURIE: You have a good few hours before Vine starts working…it’s…10 AM now, and Vine starts at 2 PM. 
LAURIE: Plenty of time for a little peek, don’t you think?
 

You are practically vibrating at the idea of getting to see LOTS OF WATER