Dollhouse – New Client

"So this is the request from our newest client." Tophers asked?

"Yes, that's it, why do you sound so dubious?" Dewitt looked up.

Topher was standing in front of Dewitts' desk in her beautifully appointed office.

He was very familiar with her clipped and somewhat overbearing British accent.

Topher looked animatedly at the palm-top computer he was holding in his hand.

"Well, lets take a look at just what he wants." He paused.

"A Jewish, lap-dancing Mime who knows how to make balloon animals," he glanced at Dewitt

to see if she reacted. He continued. "A girl who can tell you the state bird and flower of every state

in the nation except, for some reason, Tennessee and to top it off, enjoys quoting from the film

'Alien Resurrection."

Dewitt pursed her lips. "Hmm, well I can understand you reading it out in that manner."

Topher scratched his head, "You think, maybe, he's not taking this seriously?"

Dewitt considered a moment. "Since I've been here I have discovered that there is no end to the list of 'whatever turns you on,' but yes, I think this gentleman may well think this is some kind of joke."

She continued, "I remember we had a few of these when we first started, but we haven't had any lately, so I'm quite surprised that he's sceptical this far along in the process."

Topher threw out his arms. "I guess we are kind of S/F, but I would think the one million dollar fee

would tell him we're for real, right?"

"Normally yes," Dewitt said, "but now I think about it, this Mr. Daeker was introduced by a Rossum director who is a big fan of his novels. And being a writer he's most probably a cynic.

"So I won't be accessing my database for information on mimes today?" He asked her.

"Best not I think," she replied "although no requests men make from our Dolls would

surprise me anymore."

"Oh, so all our lady clients are saintly then?" Topher responded.

"No, they're just not quite so perverted." She paused a moment. "Well, apart from that one time, you remember." She added hurriedly.

Topher just grinned.

"Since he's a famous writer, I think I shall invite him in, give him the grand tour and ask him if

he would like to re-submit his request." Dewitt told him.

Topher started to leave, but stopped and asked. "You won't bring him in to my bit will you?"

"Oh, no, just my office and a walk around the floor will more than adequate to convince him

we're for real, I would think." She concluded.

The writer looked around at the facility, that resembled a modern luxury spa to his eyes, and shook

his head in quiet disbelief.

He turned to the man who had not left his side since he entered the facility. "I'm amazed and to be honest just a little embarrassed, Mr. Langton." He said. "I'm supposed to be imaginative in my line of work, but this," he gestured around him, "is just incredible."

"Well, I'm glad we've been able to convince you Mr. Daeker," Boyd replied. "Assuming that is not just a pen name anyway."

"Hmm, no, the second name isn't the one I started with and I added the J, only the Paul is real."

He replied, wearing a somewhat dreamy expression as Sierra glided silently past them.

"Well, now that you are re-assured of the service we offer here, would you care to re-submit the

request for the type of girl you'd like to spend the next 3 days with?"

"Oh! Yes, I think that would be best" the author replied

"Then, this way please," Boyd said and gestured towards Dewitts office.

"Oh no. No, no, no, no." Topher said when he had the new request in his hand.

"What's wrong this time?" Ivy asked him from her corner of the lab.

"I'll bet you don't even get this, do you?" Topher asked accusingly. "He's requested an Anime character!"

Ivy rolled her eyes. "Not that surprising really, they all wear next to nothing and have those squeaky little girl voices."

"Wish it was no worse than that." Topher said and hurried out the door.

"I'm a little puzzled as to just what your saying Topher." Dewitt said looking at his mortally

offended expression. "My Japanese isn't that great, but did you just say something about a great king?"

"Oh, yeah, that's kind of an in-joke, the title, 'Azumanga Daioh." he told her.

"But what this Daeker guy wants is just sick, we don't do this!" He said angrily.

"This isn't exactly the most conservative of establishments." She reminded Topher.

"Schoolgirls," he said throwing his hands on the side of his head, "Azumanga Daioh was a newspaper strip and then a later a popular Anime, that is, Japanese cartoon, about Japanese schoolgirls!"

Dewitt looked un-fazed.
"Topher, our actives may be fashionably depilated, but you know as well as I do that

none of them is under 22. What does is matter if the imprint is a cartoon schoolgirl, it's hardly pedophilia."

Topher did a short dash towards her across the room. "What, are you kidding? It's way too close for my liking, I happened to like that show and this is just so wrong."

"Especially since he picked the spaceiest member of the group." He continued before Dewitt could speak. "Although," he added thoughtfully, "She does have this disturbing dark side to her, maybe I should add that."

"Nothing that can potentially harm a client, I don't need to remind you to that." She spoke in

a stern, even voice. "You will do this, irregardless to how you feel, spacey schoolgirl isn't a problem

so long as she is at least 18. Beyond that point, your right, we do not go. No one is ever leaving

my house thinking they're a child."

Topher recognized that tone of voice. He puffed his cheeks out resignedly.

"I wonder if he wants the Osakan accent or the South Texas one?" he asked softly to himself.

"Dub or sub?" He asked himself.

"I won't pretend to know what you're talking about, but please go away and make our newest client happy" she told him.

Back in his operations room, Topher had decided to go with Houston accent of the animation.

"So Echo has the black hair, but she's not available," Ivy said to him. "Who are you going to use?"

"I guess I'll go with Sierra," he replied, "hope she likes Soriyama cake," me murmured.

"But then she'll like whatever we tell her to like."

The author was feeling nervous. He checked his watch again, nearly 10.00am, she's due any moment he thought.

The doorbell rang, he steeled himself a moment, then walked to his front door and opened it.

There she was, a big happy grin of recognition on her face. "Hi y'all! It's been way to long."

The author, Daeker, consider the next few hours 'interesting.'

He and Osaka started by having an in-depth discussion about what the difference was between Mist and Fog.

Shortly afterwards he'd watched her run about his house in a panic for several minutes declaring that she had, 'A bug in my hair!'

Then Osaka decided to make eggs, which he noticed she managed to do without too much fallout in the kitchen.

After they ate she started making slightly shy, 'come hither' eyes, like she wanted him to kiss her.

I just cannot do this, he thought to himself, I can not put it in Osaka, even if she is smoking hot.

So instead he tried switching on the TV. They started watching a daft game show that she seemed

to like before she fell soundly asleep on his sofa.

He decided to take her for an afternoon drive with the top down on his Jaguar sports car.

It gave her an opportunity to gaze in idle wonder at a sky full of fluffy white clouds.

He could not help but feel delight at her wide eyed sense of wonder at even the simplest of things.

Arriving at a shopping mall, he found she loved trying on vibrant colorful clothes. Oh and that accent!

That wonderful Houston accent. "Gosh, I just love clothes shopping," she said happily. "Although

it would be just great if Chiyo and Tomo were here!"

That caused the writers eyes to widen. He hadn't realized that they had been prepare to go just that

far in her creation.

As night began to fall on what he realized had been the best day he had spent for years. He found

himself sitting on the porch in his yard, Osaka snuggly beside him, holding her hand in his.

The warmth of her skin was so palpable, the affection radiating from her, the love, albeit programmed was a powerful aphrodisiac.

This is just like a Buffy ' Bot he thought to himself somewhat sickly, only much, much worse.

Before he knew it, he found himself kissing her. I'm actually kissing freakin' Osaka! He realized.

Later still, just past midnight he had to admit something to himself.

As she slept with her bare arm draped across his chest he knew he'd put it in Osaka. Twice.

And it had been the very definition of awesome.

Two days later, he felt a real pang of regret when she had to leave, for a 'treatment.'

Never again, he told himself. What I just did was morally abhorrent. And besides, he thought ruefully, I'm just not that rich.

Strangely though, mere hours later he found himself thinking he could probably afford at least one more assignation in the next few months.

Somehow he just could not shake his curiosity at what an experience with Tomo

really would be like...