HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

[FireFox]

[Strategy Room]

The mere thought of spending a long flight in a loud deathtrap with two new coworkers she needs to make a good first impression on is enough to make Callie's anxiety spike. What if they crashed and had to shelter for days before rescue? She's only got a few hours of emergency conversation topics and an energy bar in her purse.

"Let's see, take the shuttlepod to the surface, Riftline to GLoG, grab my gear... I'll have to use some magic, but I'll get there soon after you. I hope." She backs out of the room with a wave and as soon as she's out of sight she rushes for the exit.

[Shadowcaller]

[Strategy Room]

"I would prefer taking the helicopter please." She'd say that she had no other means of transport but then she wouldn't be able to use that excuse if it ever came up again. Since her turning up before the helicopter landed would at least in her mind require a very good explanation.
"So I guess we'll see you there then, Callie." She will give the foxgirl a respectful nod before they presumably set off towards the temple by various means.

[Keeper]

Entrance Hall

A newcomer arrives on the shuttle. He’s a rather odd looking fellow, more or less like a very heavyset shark-person with dark skin on his back and pale in front and glowing blue eyes. And dressed in very clearly new khakis, collared shirt, and shoes.
He exits the shuttle, walking like his shoes don’t fit at all, and looks around for anyone else.

[Reinholdt]

[Entrance Hall]

Why, there's a small blue cat sitting in the hallway! Why is there a small blue cat sitting in the hallway? Why is he staring at the shark-man with unquestionably curiosity?

"Hello. How can we help you?"

Why can he talk?

[Keeper]

Entrance Hall

Henry looks down at the cat ahead of him.
”Um. I wanted to offer to help out. Part-time. Do you guys do that?”

[Reinholdt]

[Entrance Hall]

Reinholdt tilts his head a little, doing a quirky cat angle. "All our members are part-time in some way or another I think, so that shouldn't be an issue. What's your name? And what kind of research do you do?"

[Keeper]

[Entrance Hall]

Reinholdt tilts his head a little, doing a quirky cat angle. "All our members are part-time in some way or another I think, so that shouldn't be an issue. What's your name? And what kind of research do you do?"

"Oh. My name's Henry Sm-sorry, Vadnova. Sorry. It changed recently and I'm still getting used to it." Finding out you're the youngest member of a family of huge weirdos does take getting used to.
"Um, I don't really have a research background, though I want to go into computer science some day. But I uh. I can see ghosts. And...all my other senses, actually. Touch and hearing and the rest. Except I haven't tested taste yet. Ew. But you get the idea. I thought uh, that might be useful?"

[Reinholdt]

[Entrance Hall]

"Oh. So you don't want your own lab?" Reinholdt's tail's tip swishes slowly up and down. "Well... I'm sure there's those who deal with the paranormal from time to time who could use assistance. The Fourth Tower. Callie. Others situationally." Reinholdt waves his paw. "Welcome aboard. If you want your own room, as a member, you have the right to one and we'll get it set up for you. Anything else you might need, let us know and we'll be happy to try and arrange it for you."

[Zefir]

[Airbase]

"I do not. Father always kept those books with him. I did not take them with me when I..." The elf frowns, running a finger along his temple. "...I... I do not recall leaving." He says, a note of concern entering his voice. "I... I must have left, but I do not remember it. All I remember is suddenly being here."

"...Like, just now, or...?"

"No. On a train to MERC. That is where I... (woke up/became aware/first recollection)" The last word is a garbled mess, sounding like three different voices providing three different translations. Apparently, whatever he said doesn't map to English very well.

[Airbase]

"I see." The small lizard plush animal replies. "If I understand it right you are a robot..maybe cyborg kind? You never introduced yourself so I don't really know. Still in that case we might need to look that up. No personal informations but maybe we can see if that missing memory is due to an error or just never got recorded. Like you were asleep while getting set on the train. I assume any logfiles would only be readable in your language. Mr.Vlad can you provide the nessesary equipment?"

I would say we handwave the going to the room thing as it would need hours at the speed they go and none of them provides anything to speed it up.

[Ironsmith]

[Airbase]

"...Cyborg. I do not know this word." Septimus mutters.

"You know, sort of like a half-human half-machine kind of deal? They're very popular around here."

Septimus frowns. "I am not at all human. Or at all machine. I do not think that term applies to me."

"...Hang on. I thought you said your 'father' built you?"

"He did, yes." Septimus confirms with a nod.

"But you aren't a machine."

"I am not."

"...So are you, like, a homunculus or something?"

"I do not know this word."

"...Right. Um." Vlad rubs at his neck. "...I get the feeling finding the right term to describe what you are is going to be an ordeal."

"It is not. I am simply an elf. What is difficult about that?"

[Zefir]

[Airbase]

"I think he is just limited by the terms you use Mr.Vlad." Mr.C says
"Cyborg is a mix of living creature and Mechanical parts. For example if an elf got his arm replaced by a robotic one for whatever reason he would fall under the definition of Cyborg."
"And just so you know. It would be EXTREMLY polite if you INTRODUCE YOURSELF properbly so these kinds of discussions don't come up." For gods sake the plush animal get's mad as he asks for this like every time.

[Keeper]

[Entrance Hall]

"Oh. So you don't want your own lab?" Reinholdt's tail's tip swishes slowly up and down. "Well... I'm sure there's those who deal with the paranormal from time to time who could use assistance. The Fourth Tower. Callie. Others situationally." Reinholdt waves his paw. "Welcome aboard. If you want your own room, as a member, you have the right to one and we'll get it set up for you. Anything else you might need, let us know and we'll be happy to try and arrange it for you."

Entrance Hall

"Wait, that's it?" They didn't even have an interview! Did he buy these interview clothes for nothing? Maybe he can ditch the shoes. He always wished he could go without them like his father but now that he can he's found himself unsure if it looks weird.
"Um. I guess if you have space I'd take a room or office. I have plenty of room at home but it's a bit of a commute. And I'd rather not go around Inside alone at night. Got assassinated once." And that's why he's a ghost! Kinda.

[Ironsmith]

[Airbase]

"...I see. Then I am not a cyborg." The elf says with a nod.

"That still doesn't explain what you are." Vlad points out.

"I told you. I am an elf."

"Well, yes, but there are all kinds of elves here in the Nexus. Could you narrow it down for us at all?"

"...No."

"Figures." Vlad sighs and holds open the door for Mr. C. The stuffed lizard probably has his own way of getting into whatever lab he uses, but it seems polite to help him if he can.

[Reinholdt]

[Entrance Hall]

"That's it. Tell you what. I'll just give you a room and an office, just to cover our bases." Reinholdt glances at Henry, looking him over for a second. "So I see. I guess it didn't stick, then? I've been almost assassinated a few times. If I knew I could just ghost haunt my arch-enemy, I wouldn't have bothered cloning myself." Reinholdt laughs a little and starts walking.

"This way! I'll show you around real quick. Who has it out for you anyways?"

[Keeper]

Entrance Hall

Looking over Henry reveals that he is in fact, a large shark-man. There's subtle stripes on the back of his neck probably with more down his back. And he looks pretty strong despite his generally round shape. He seems pretty physical aside from his spooky glowing eyes. Henry is only part ghost. Like Bushranger!
He continues behind the cat with his awkward-shoe walk.
"Apparently my family house was remiss to let me die so soon after it got its clutches on me. Never get cursed magic mansions. As for who, it's a long story." And an unresolved plot.
"So um. If I'm in, is there a dress code? I got all dressed up but I actually prefer the cold." Henry likes feeling cool air. He's a shorts all year round guy.

[Reinholdt]

[Entrance Hall]

Bushranger, one of the Ancients that built this place. The Ancients' top secret energy holo room remains to this day, Reinholdt desperately doing his best to maintain it without having too many episodes revolving around it malfunctioning.

"Is the family still in the picture then? They're not going to come here to drag you back home are they?" Reinholdt asks as they go by the pool, the kitchen, the holo room, the library.

"No, no dress code, unless someone starts complaining. Just don't be as naked as I am, it's not socially acceptable. Ohh... you should visit Vlad and have him make you a Mister Freeze outfit. Something fancy that actively cools you too. He'd probably love the engineering challenge," Reinholdt suggests.

[Keeper]

Entrance Hall

"Oh no, my family is weird but they're not like that. They just think I'm dumb for leaving the house given that I was stabbed to death right outside the gate. Sarah's the only one you have to worry about. She's my twin. Absolutely great person. But if anything happens to me don't let her in. House cursed me with fins and a permanent gut, it cursed her to be a biohazard when she's upset." He shrugs as if any of that makes sense. It doesn't but he's had to accept the House's "blessings" have no rhyme or reason.

"Anyway, a big bulky suit sounds annoying to get on and off. Especially because I kinda phase out of things from time to time? I guess since I can't get cold I could just go around in shorts but I don't think people want to look at that all the time." Henry was raised in a community where people going barefoot was normal but not shirtless!
"Do you think he could make ghost-proof pants or something? He has had multiple incidents where he got scared and his belongings fell off of him as he turned ghostly, which was really awkward every time. Especially when it happens underwater.

[Reinholdt]

[Entrance Hall]

"Curses. Fun..." They don't sound fun at all. If Henry ever throws a holiday or house party, Reinholdt is definitely not attending.

"I mean, who says it has to be big and bulky just cause it has cooling features?" Surely they can come up with something thin and reasonable. Well that's for the engineers and tailors to figure out. "I'm sure Vlad love the opportunity to figure it out. I really don't know if he can or not, it's not come up before in my presence." Rein could only guess.

[Keeper]

Entrance Hall

”Well, if you think he’d like to do it I can put in the request. What’s he like?”
Henry will be happy to follow for a while. He does carefully slip out of his shoes during the conversation since clearly no one minds.

[Reinholdt]

[Entrance Hall]

"Ummm..." Reinholdt gets a little stumped. He's really only met the guy once and that was for the interview everyone seems to think they have to go through. "Polite? He was polite. Inquisitive."

They stop at the portal area for a moment. "This one goes up to the Airbase where he is most of the time if you want to meet him. About as far removed from the water as HALO gets though."

[Zefir]

[Airbase]

"...I see. Then I am not a cyborg." The elf says with a nod.

"That still doesn't explain what you are." Vlad points out.

"I told you. I am an elf."

"Well, yes, but there are all kinds of elves here in the Nexus. Could you narrow it down for us at all?"

"...No."

"Figures." Vlad sighs and holds open the door for Mr. C. The stuffed lizard probably has his own way of getting into whatever lab he uses, but it seems polite to help him if he can.

[Airbase]

"So you are 100% flesh?" Mr. C says. Wasn't there radiation coming from that guy?
"When people say Person X MADE me, most suggest a not natural way that happened, Like in 'I made this tool', mr future elf guy."

Mr. C should know the kind of Elf he is based on the language. Sure he won't be able to tell if he is exactly that but he should know the general elf speaking their language.

He nods apreciating to the door, but when the stuff animal is past the doorframe a trap (or most see it as trap) sends him flying through the room right on a desk.
The room itself looks empty, only a small toy like bed is there as furniture and a lot of books and papers cover whatever is on the desk (like the button). Only a Mr.C size door near the bed might draw attention.

[Keeper]

Entrance Hall

Henry freezes up a bit at the explanation that he'd have to go to the skybase to see Vlad.
"Oh. Well uh. I'm kind of...afraid of heights. And also I have a tendency to pass through things so...."
He REALLY doesn't want to fall through the floor of the skybase and then fail to fall through the ground a few minutes later.

[Ironsmith]

[Airbase]

"So you are 100% flesh?" Mr. C says. Wasn't there radiation coming from that guy?
"When people say Person X MADE me, most suggest a not natural way that happened, Like in 'I made this tool', mr future elf guy."

Mr. C should know the kind of Elf he is based on the language. Sure he won't be able to tell if he is exactly that but he should know the general elf speaking their language.

He nods apreciating to the door, but when the stuff animal is past the doorframe a trap (or most see it as trap) sends him flying through the room right on a desk.
The room itself looks empty, only a small toy like bed is there as furniture and a lot of books and papers cover whatever is on the desk (like the button). Only a Mr.C size door near the bed might draw attention.

[Airbase]

If Mr. C knows enough about the language's background to have more than incidental knowledge of the people who speak it, this is all going to suddenly make sense. Since, yes, "made" like "I made this tool" is absolutely the correct descriptor of what happened; these elves don't reproduce by having kids, they reproduce by the creation of artificial life, each successive generation working to improve on the previous design. Septimus's "father" would be the elf that created him, from the ground up, with whatever technology and magic he had available to him.

"I am." Septimus confirms. "I am a flesh thing, same as... him." He points over his shoulder to Vlad, not wanting to risk using Mr. C as an example of a "flesh thing" as he's not exactly likely to be correct.

The elf does nothing to stop Mr. C from going flying, though Vlad jumps at the sudden movement, taking a second afterwards to calm himself down again.

"So, this is your lab?" Vlad asks, looking around. "It looks very... cozy, I'd say."

[Felandria]

[Felandria's Office]

A hug.
Something Venus hasn't had in quite a long time.
Also something she hasn't really been looking for. But, at the same time, after the hug she realizes it's something she's really needed.

About half of her stress melts away as she follows Felandria's advice and breathes. Still really tired, still half-stressed, but breathing.

After several moments, Venus looks back at the security tape. "I just...I just don't want anyone to get hurt. Not anybody here, and not even them. Only a handful of them are actually dangerous." She takes another breath. "..."

She breathes out.

"Thanks," Venus tells Felandria.

Venus closes her eyes and thinks aloud.
"If we do nothing, then it'll escalate, right? Then, regardless of what happens, somebody will get hurt. Or...maybe I could leave and run. Then nobody'll be hurt, right?" She wipes at her cheeks. "Or may-maybe I guess I could just go with her, yeah? No one else will be hurt, and then, um, I could talk with them a-and see if I could convince them to stop...."
Her head's telling her that talking things over always works and always solves everything and that that's the obvious solution, but her heart's telling her to just run away.

Venus looks up at Felandria. "What would you do if you were in this situation?" she asks quietly.

Felandria gently places her hands on Venus’s shoulders.

If it were me, I would confront the problem and make it go away.

And we are here for you if that is what you decide to do.

I can go with you, if you want.

[Thursday Violist]

Felandria gently places her hands on Venus’s shoulders.

If it were me, I would confront the problem and make it go away.

And we are here for you if that is what you decide to do.

I can go with you, if you want.

Venus looks down.

She breathes in, then out, and again.

"Okay, yeah. Let's do that. Come with me," she says.
She thinks for a bit. "What do you think I should say?" Venus has been avoiding talking with them for so long, she doesn't know what to say.

[Felandria]

Venus looks down.

She breathes in, then out, and again.

"Okay, yeah. Let's do that. Come with me," she says.
She thinks for a bit. "What do you think I should say?" Venus has been avoiding talking with them for so long, she doesn't know what to say.

Just be honest and firm with them.

Tell them you want no part of them and they need to leave you alone.

If they disagree or refuse, then we move on to the next step.

Which is making them leave you alone or else.

[Reinholdt]

Entrance Hall

Henry freezes up a bit at the explanation that he'd have to go to the skybase to see Vlad.
"Oh. Well uh. I'm kind of...afraid of heights. And also I have a tendency to pass through things so...."
He REALLY doesn't want to fall through the floor of the skybase and then fail to fall through the ground a few minutes later.

[Portal Room]

Reinholdt looks at Henry, then back at the portal, then back at Henry.

"You're supposed to pass through it. That's... kinda just how it works." Reinholdt rubs one of his ears with a paw. "Nothing to be done about a fear of heights though. It is pretty high up. Well, I can recommend a therapist if you want one for that, but otherwise you can just hang out near the kitchen? Everyone passes through there at one point or another, even our seclusive bookworms. You should be able to meet Vlad that way. Speaking of bookworms, I guess you'll want to see the library?" The cat asks as he walks away from the portals.

[Keeper]

Portal Room

"But what if I pass through the floor of the skybase?" Henry sputters, hands going across himself just at the thought.
"Oh. Uh. Yeah. That sounds like a good plan. And uh the library, sure."
Henry and books don't always mix due to his need to dump water on himself from time to time but at the moment he's dry.

[Reinholdt]

[Portal Room]

"It's mostly dirt and rock being held aloft, so I imagine whatever keeps you from passing through the ground right now and plummeting to the center of the earth to live out your undead days in endless torment should also keep you fine up there." Reinholdt tilts his head in thought. "Also can't ghosts fly?" That's probably how they avoid the center of the earth problem in the first place.

Reinholdt shows Henry the library, complete with a librarian that readily ignores both of them in favor of reading whatever book she's engrossed in. "This is our library. Bigger than most, not as big as some. Available to all members for whatever you need. Just remember to bring the books back or Maria will hunt you down."

[Keeper]

Portal Room/Library

"Fly? Maybe. Not me, though. I think I'm too solid and heavy." Henry slaps his chest to demonstrate that he is in fact a corporeal being. Henry hasn't been a ghost shark long enough to know how all of his abilities work.

He looks around in wonder at the library. From the movement of his jaws he's trying to whistle but has trouble doing so.
"It's nice." he whispers.
"I'll just uh. Have to be careful not to get anything wet." Stupid fish nature requiring water regularly.
"Is it organized the usual way?"