"Are you sure you want that in writing?" Drake asks him, knowing enough about the city's bullshit at this point that he'd rather not include it. "Subs can't rent property, so the only way to put in the contract that you're paying for it yourself when I'm legally supposed to provide for you is to say I allow you to work but claim your earnings."
Hopefully the explanation will make it obvious why he doesn't like putting that in a contract, but he'll let it be K's decision.
"It'd be changing this part here." He indicates a sub-clause under where he's given K the right to work, nestled between that it can be whatever job he likes and that his working doesn't preclude him having an authorized line on Drake's account for purchases. Only vice-versa. "And then this line about housing would be conditional."
K had pulled a paycheck - and bonuses - at the LAPD. A lot of it was nominal, considering they could pay him whatever they wanted and he had no way of changing it if he thought it should be more or, as happened often, if they docked his checks for medical care, supplies, and repairs as they thought necessary. He is accustomed to others claiming his earnings.
He glances over the places Drake has indicated, rubbing the tip of his thumb over the surface of the paper almost idly.
"How else would you suggest then? I simply pay you directly?"
"If you can trust me enough for that agreement, yeah. You can send me back the rent and as far as we're concerned... it's your place, you're paying for it. If that's what you want. But there's no way to put it in the contract without losing you other freedoms." He hesitates, then adds, "We're already handshake agreeing it's private, guaranteed. Right? Even if you gave me a key I wouldn't come in uninvited. Everybody deserves someplace that's just for them."
"I don't need it in the contract." Because the truth is that K doesn't trust the city any more than he trusts anything else about this - he certainly wouldn't expect to try to argue any of it. If they really want to do something, really want to put him somewhere or take something from him or do something to him, they'll just do it.
That's all anyone has ever done, or been legally allowed to do with replicants specifically, and that carries over to the glance up at the addition.
"But your name is on the title, or the lease, or whatever it ends up being," he points out.
"It has to be," Drake concedes, giving a small, apologetic shrug. "Remember when I told you... sometimes even though you can't have everything, something's better than nothing? It's our understanding. You're paying for it, you're a person and you deserve to be able to close a door between you and the rest of the world. Everybody whose opinion is worth something will know that. And the city has to go through me. I know it's not enough, K, but it's the best we can manage... if you're willing to try it."
"I don't want everything," he says before he can stop himself, and it feels dangerous that it's already out but so much about this does and he's trying anyway.
He is trying. He looks down at Sable, rubs her soft ear so, so carefully between his fingers.
Drake doesn't challenge that, not even by saying he wishes K could have more than this. Because it doesn't matter. He just lets it sit between them for a moment, then grabs the notepad and pen and holds them out to K.
"If it helps you, we can put what we're agreeing to in writing. It won't mean anything to the city either way, but it would to me. Otherwise... is there anything else you'd wanna change with the city filing?"
K is about to shake his head - it doesn't matter to him, he's learned by now from firsthand experience how anything that's going to happen to replicants is going to happen regardless of what's in writing and what's not - but then Drake says that it would mean something to him, and K changes his mind and accepts the items.
In neat, block handwriting, K starts to write down what Drake said - word for word, KD6-3.7 sends Drake Holloway rent, it's KD6-3.7's place, KD6-3.7 is paying for it; handshake agreeing it's private, guaranteed; Drake Holloway wouldn't come in uninvited - as he shakes his head.
"No. It looks good," K answers, glancing at the pile of papers in question, then back to what he's writing without pausing, careful to contort to work around Sable's head in his lap without disturbing her.
It could be said that's true of agreements between humans, too. Contracts are just a type of promise, and people break promises all the time. Maybe they don't mean to, maybe they even do so accidentally, but it happens. All anyone can ever do is their best to keep their word and face the consequences if they don't... but Drake does smile slightly when K takes the notepad and starts listing their private agreements. Even if the other man is just humoring him, that's K trying to make this work.
While he does that Drake grabs a second pen and signs the actual contract, no hesitation in his movements. K says it's good? He's already made up his mind. Then he reaches for the bigger stack of papers on the table, the one that's been face down all this time, and starts separating them.
"I picked these based on my budget," he tells K, "so if yours is really different we might have to look again... but they're still a good starting point."
They're apartment listings, organized mostly by size and price. Drake's set them out in piles that might seem random but besides the obvious criteria of Up or Down, one of the Down piles is available apartments near Jesus. One of the Up piles is focused on places near parks. There are a variety of styles because Drake didn't know what K would like, but every single rental allows pets.
K watches Drake sign from the corner of his eye, and in one way, it's almost a relief; having the decision looming has been a weight K has been carrying since V disappeared in November, and not one he's been able to shift or put down longer than a moment. For better or for worse, a decision has been made.
For better or for worse, K finishes marking down their amendments and moves seamlessly to pulling the contract over to sign himself, such as he can. There's no cursive for numbers.
That leaves him to eye the stacks of papers, setting down both forms of contract neatly on the table, his pen over top of them. He rubs Sable's ears and tips his head to study the topmost entry on each pile.
"I don't need much." He honestly doesn't know what to do with much. "I have to take care of Nibbles, and Mango, and I have a fish tank and a caterpillar. Other than that, the rest isn't important."
Drake nods at the list of animals -- he accounted for everything but the caterpillar, who probably wouldn't have a preference -- then pushes the non-Jesus-adjacent Down pile off to the side.
"The specific apartment might not feel important right now, but it is that you're choosing it. I want this to be your space. Somewhere you like being, somewhere that's comfortable for you. And you're not locked in... if you pick a place and realize you'd prefer something a little different, I don't care about breaking a lease."
Of course K isn't used to choosing things for himself, and Drake is still walking that fine line between encouraging and pushing. He thinks for a moment, glancing towards his own balcony.
"Nibbles likes watching the birds and I think it'd be nice for you to have some sunlight, so maybe the Up. You wanna take this stack and think about it? Take some tours?"
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Hopefully the explanation will make it obvious why he doesn't like putting that in a contract, but he'll let it be K's decision.
"It'd be changing this part here." He indicates a sub-clause under where he's given K the right to work, nestled between that it can be whatever job he likes and that his working doesn't preclude him having an authorized line on Drake's account for purchases. Only vice-versa. "And then this line about housing would be conditional."
no subject
He glances over the places Drake has indicated, rubbing the tip of his thumb over the surface of the paper almost idly.
"How else would you suggest then? I simply pay you directly?"
no subject
no subject
That's all anyone has ever done, or been legally allowed to do with replicants specifically, and that carries over to the glance up at the addition.
"But your name is on the title, or the lease, or whatever it ends up being," he points out.
no subject
no subject
He is trying. He looks down at Sable, rubs her soft ear so, so carefully between his fingers.
"Okay."
no subject
Drake doesn't challenge that, not even by saying he wishes K could have more than this. Because it doesn't matter. He just lets it sit between them for a moment, then grabs the notepad and pen and holds them out to K.
"If it helps you, we can put what we're agreeing to in writing. It won't mean anything to the city either way, but it would to me. Otherwise... is there anything else you'd wanna change with the city filing?"
no subject
In neat, block handwriting, K starts to write down what Drake said - word for word, KD6-3.7 sends Drake Holloway rent, it's KD6-3.7's place, KD6-3.7 is paying for it; handshake agreeing it's private, guaranteed; Drake Holloway wouldn't come in uninvited - as he shakes his head.
"No. It looks good," K answers, glancing at the pile of papers in question, then back to what he's writing without pausing, careful to contort to work around Sable's head in his lap without disturbing her.
no subject
While he does that Drake grabs a second pen and signs the actual contract, no hesitation in his movements. K says it's good? He's already made up his mind. Then he reaches for the bigger stack of papers on the table, the one that's been face down all this time, and starts separating them.
"I picked these based on my budget," he tells K, "so if yours is really different we might have to look again... but they're still a good starting point."
They're apartment listings, organized mostly by size and price. Drake's set them out in piles that might seem random but besides the obvious criteria of Up or Down, one of the Down piles is available apartments near Jesus. One of the Up piles is focused on places near parks. There are a variety of styles because Drake didn't know what K would like, but every single rental allows pets.
no subject
For better or for worse, K finishes marking down their amendments and moves seamlessly to pulling the contract over to sign himself, such as he can. There's no cursive for numbers.
That leaves him to eye the stacks of papers, setting down both forms of contract neatly on the table, his pen over top of them. He rubs Sable's ears and tips his head to study the topmost entry on each pile.
"I don't need much." He honestly doesn't know what to do with much. "I have to take care of Nibbles, and Mango, and I have a fish tank and a caterpillar. Other than that, the rest isn't important."
no subject
"The specific apartment might not feel important right now, but it is that you're choosing it. I want this to be your space. Somewhere you like being, somewhere that's comfortable for you. And you're not locked in... if you pick a place and realize you'd prefer something a little different, I don't care about breaking a lease."
Of course K isn't used to choosing things for himself, and Drake is still walking that fine line between encouraging and pushing. He thinks for a moment, glancing towards his own balcony.
"Nibbles likes watching the birds and I think it'd be nice for you to have some sunlight, so maybe the Up. You wanna take this stack and think about it? Take some tours?"