HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Herein lies the various threads in which our characters live out their lives
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Reinholdt »

[Fairy Tales]

"I was considering a more traditional route of spreading the story, honestly." Namely, bribing certain reviewers to give it top marks, thus ensuring its the must read hit of both the upper class and the counterculturalists. At least a must read hit if you want to stay informed and be able to keep up with the conversation with that one co-worker you don't hate but you don't like either and also need their approval for your promotion.

"But regardless of how it's done, I don't want to do it the way the King in Rags did simply because that's just begging for unintended consequences. We'll simply have to share it as much as possible." Tell your friends. Or your spirit friends in some cases.

"We need just a little bit of clean up. What's the dog's name, what's the dragon's name, and what's the name of the fantasy band both Jane and the Dragon like?"
► The Story So Far
[Infirmary -> ???]

Reinholdt probably knows Seraphina hasn't gotten eaten in her sleep because she's here now. Wait... unless she'd heal from that too. Which would be a remarkable feat in and of itself. Perhaps she has some promethean blood in her.

"Well... we have both actually," Reinholdt admits now that he thinks about it. "I was going to take you to the witches, but they've been kind of busy a lot lately. Maybe it'd be better to go with the book nerd. Granted, those hate it when you interrupt their reading. Witches are a lot more cool about it. Or they just skip straight to cursing you for it." But they're still not as passive aggressive as book nerds when it comes to the matter.

"It'd probably do a book nerd some good to be forced to participate too, huh? Get in her one socialization for the year." Reinholdt glances at Seraphina as they start to walk out in an effort to get some sort of read on her stance on the issue. If she's hard against one or the other, he'll need to take it into account.
► SHOW SPOILER
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Earl of Purple »

Outside, Near the Shuttles

Good news there is that a Class Two brain is designed for interaction with members of the public, so Bentley is neither monotone nor expressionless. This may or may not be reassuring.

"You're Vlad, right? Nice to put a face to the name." As Bentley says this- projecting the voice from a roof-mounted speaker, which is louder than the internal one for talking to passengers- a face appears inside the car. There's a pair of benches facing each other with black vinyl seating, a central pillar supporting the roof with some sockets in its surface, and a pair of large screens above and behind the seating. The floor and internal panelling is walnut, polished to a high standard, though the air inside smells stale and musty. The face is on both screens, looking- or seeming to; the actual cameras are in the central pillar- at Vlad. It's a clearly human face, with pale skin, black hair, and green eyes, though things are slightly off as it's an AI-designed face rather than a true person, wearing a peaked cap. "It might be quicker to list what isn't a problem. Solar collection is down to 60% efficacy, one of my three batteries doesn't hold a charge, the break mechanism in my left near- from your perspective- wheel assembly sticks and the wheel assembly at the same end but on your right won't turn, my suspension is rough, and I'm down to one LED hi-beam, to say nothing about the state of my tyres. I have also discovered the gas has leaked out of my air conditioning unit, the rear storage compartment is jammed, and my GPS system isn't picking up any satellites, though I'm unsure if that's an issue on my end or not. My parking radar is still fully functional, as are my heated seats, and my entertainment system is also fully functional." Quite a long list, but at least Bentley has a rough idea of what needs doing.

"I am... quite glad to see you. I'm afraid humans are extinct on my version of Earth, and with them, the need for self-driving cars, even armoured ones." A fact which may or may not be related to his inability to open one of his storage compartments.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Thursday Violist »

[Fairy Tales]

Venus, as someone who has relatively-recently had memories that aren't hers forced into her, says, "I don't think it would be good to spread it the same way he did." However, she adds, "But having spirits spreading the message would probably be pretty effective, especially if we combine it with the traditional way."

She thinks, and immediately regrets it, but says, "...I suppose I could convince my...my... cult to spread the story." They're quite extreme and Venus doesn't ever want to interact with them again but they definitely would be willing to evangelize this random story if she asked them to.

Venus looks over the new additions to the story so far. "Maybe with names, we could go with Lula? Or Toby?" she suggests.


[Infirmary -> ???]

Seraphina doesn't know if she would heal from being eaten in her sleep. However, she would consider it a nice life if she never found out the answer to that.

"If the witches have been busy, then it's definitely best to go to the library instead," she says. Then, reassuringly, she adds, "Don't worry, I have a lot of experience interrupting people who are reading."

And so, Seraphina heads towards the library!
...
Well, she would if she knew where the library was.
Instead, she follows Reinholdt to there.
"Oh, drat," she says, remembering something. "I actually just used to have a gift card for a bookstore that we could've used for introduction, but I already gave it to someone as a bribe."
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

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Arkhosia wrote: May 11, 2023 4:30 am [Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"Gladly, Mrs. Teplos." Her own handshake is crisp, comfortable and honest. She accentuates it with a brilliant flash of teeth before breaking it in time with Vax and following her to the desk. She takes a seat and crosses one leg over the other, then rests the cane in her lap.

"That is not the case I'm afraid, no. As I explained to your wife, Mrs. Vax, I am deathly ill." She opts for a more subdued approach this time - a soft, "can't be helped" sort of smile. "Bone cancer, stage four - osteosarcoma in the right thigh, since metastasized into my lungs. Particularly resilient, too - we've tried everything, ranging from radiation and chemotherapy to surgical intervention and magical spells. Which haven't worked, obviously - I think we've had some suspicions about there being something cursed or at least anti-magical, but it hasn't been very conclusive." Dulcinea adds this with a wave of a hand, as if she were talking about some weatherly minutia.

"The point is, I haven't much time left to live. A few months, maybe a year or so. Now, initially, I only came here to make a simple request. Considering my dire situation, I thought it best to propose donating my physical corpse once I'd passed in the hopes that it would be useful for medical study. Something I assumed would be within HALO's perview, considering its reputation for general scientific research." And was evidently not, if her tone suggested anything. Which is truly a shame when her gesture had such a magnanimity to it!

"However, when Zhareen heard my plight, she had a different idea altogether." Her smile briefly grows a little brighter, and she nods towards the woman. "We discussed a few possible alternatives to my eminent demise, such as extension of my life via undeath - but she also suggested that given your expertise and field of study, you might also know of potential ways to extend my life." She waits for Vax to respond with an inviting quirk of the brow.
Shadowcaller wrote: May 11, 2023 5:06 am [Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

As Dulcie explains her plight Zhareen she has a sudden flashback to herself handing over a half-dead crab to Vax and wondering if she could make it better somehow since its crab family needed them. A request her wife didn't find all that pleasant.

Since that's when she realized that Dulcinea was like that crab, but in human form.

A revelation which causes her to look increasingly nervous the more the teenager told her wife. Slowly wishing the earth could just swallow her up as she felt Vax's gaze upon her without even needing to look in her direction.
[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

Zhareen's anticipation is quite on point. Vax turns to give her an absolutely withering look upon hearing Dulcinea's explanation. It was just like her cheery, hopeful wife to give a dying adolescent false hope.

She looks back to their guest, easing the irritation out of her expression. The scrutinizes the young woman for a moment before she speaks. "I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't know; if curing every malignant blight in the world were a simple matter, it would be done. We could offer you the latest entry in a long list of attempts to save your life. It's not that it's not worth doing, but there are no promises I can make." She says frankly. "I would suggest caution the pursuit of some un-life. The fear of death has driven many to very dark places, and such things always have a cost."
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Arkhosia »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

My, what a look. Dulcinea doesn't comment, but she does note it down. Was Vax's nature and expertise in life energy something others were meant to keep secret? Or was this just chastisement over hyping someone up with the promise of a solution to a problem she isn't able to fix?

Or even spicier, not permitted to fix?

"Oh, of course!" She raises her hands palm-up like a man in a barfight, flashing her "most innocentest girl in the whole wide world" expression. "Don't mistake me, Mrs. Vax - I came here having made peace with the fact that I am almost certainly finished. And I'm very aware of the potential cost and consequences of undeath. Mrs. Zhareen and I had a lovely chat about those various things on our way up here, in fact!" A mild stretch when it was more her countering Zhareen's eager suggestions, but a bit of praise probably wouldn't hurt there, would it?

"Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not interested in whatever you and your organization might be able to offer me - necromantic, curative or simply in easing my pain in the meantime." She turns down the sunniness here and folds one hand over the other. "And, of course, what I might be able to offer you in return." It's time to talk business.
"Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not, we never are. But that's not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?"
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Shadowcaller »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

'Offer them in return'? Zhareen glances nervously at Dulcinea, her gaze having been held firmly downwards until this point. Surely she didn't mean...
Since if they indeed helped her with extending her lifespan wouldn't that be counter-intuitive? Or was she counting on a way that didn't include her body?

The only thing she adds to the conversation however is a "uh, yeah, we did." when Dulcie mentions them having a chat. "But I also mentioned that necromancy wasn't my specialty, young miss. I'm an oracle. I do, uh, other things. So you should trust Vax more than me in this situation."

[Fairy Tales]

"Dragons tend to have long and complex names. But for this reason they often shorten them when interacting with other beings." Ambrosia remarks. "But what about something simple and easy to remember, like drake? Or Yung?"

"Or Bing!" Zhareen exclaims. "And the dog could be called... Ting."
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Ironsmith »

Earl of Purple wrote: May 12, 2023 2:14 pm Outside, Near the Shuttles

Good news there is that a Class Two brain is designed for interaction with members of the public, so Bentley is neither monotone nor expressionless. This may or may not be reassuring.

"You're Vlad, right? Nice to put a face to the name." As Bentley says this- projecting the voice from a roof-mounted speaker, which is louder than the internal one for talking to passengers- a face appears inside the car. There's a pair of benches facing each other with black vinyl seating, a central pillar supporting the roof with some sockets in its surface, and a pair of large screens above and behind the seating. The floor and internal panelling is walnut, polished to a high standard, though the air inside smells stale and musty. The face is on both screens, looking- or seeming to; the actual cameras are in the central pillar- at Vlad. It's a clearly human face, with pale skin, black hair, and green eyes, though things are slightly off as it's an AI-designed face rather than a true person, wearing a peaked cap. "It might be quicker to list what isn't a problem. Solar collection is down to 60% efficacy, one of my three batteries doesn't hold a charge, the break mechanism in my left near- from your perspective- wheel assembly sticks and the wheel assembly at the same end but on your right won't turn, my suspension is rough, and I'm down to one LED hi-beam, to say nothing about the state of my tyres. I have also discovered the gas has leaked out of my air conditioning unit, the rear storage compartment is jammed, and my GPS system isn't picking up any satellites, though I'm unsure if that's an issue on my end or not. My parking radar is still fully functional, as are my heated seats, and my entertainment system is also fully functional." Quite a long list, but at least Bentley has a rough idea of what needs doing.

"I am... quite glad to see you. I'm afraid humans are extinct on my version of Earth, and with them, the need for self-driving cars, even armoured ones." A fact which may or may not be related to his inability to open one of his storage compartments.
[Outside, Near the Shuttles]

"In summary; general wear and tear, mixed with navigation failure." Vlad concludes, kneeling next to Bentley and inspecting the apparent physical damage. "What have you been doing all this time, if you haven't been taking on passengers?"

He'll start with the essential systems; power in particular. Replacing the solar panels should be... maybe not easy, since Bentley will likely be made to different specifications than whatever Vlad can machine on the spot, but at least simple compared to something more complex, like the engine.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Zefir »

[Fairy Tales]

As Zhareen glances at Mr she can just here a "Creeeeeeeepy!"

"Maybe Bones for the dog. Anything simple would do.
As for the dragon we could hide something there. Just call her Sune which in some draconic Language would be 'Friend'"
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Earl of Purple »

Outside, Near the Shuttles

"Indeed. Well, I explored. My owner didn't often want to go anywhere exciting; from his house, to his job, and back again, and then on weekends sometimes to the golf course. He's dead now, well, I would assume that's obvious." Given his earlier mention that humans are extinct where he comes from. "I should miss him, but... I don't think he appreciated me much. I was told to call him Mister Brown, and he never called me anything but Bentley. He gave his PAs a name, called them Wendy, although personal assistant robots typically have a Class Three brain. I met two of them, both dead too. Artificial obsolescence." There's a moment of silence, before Bentley speaks again.

"I met Wendy three times, and I miss her more than Mister Brown. She was friendly, and we moaned about him a little. There wasn't much else to talk about, really. He kept her at his office, not letting her home. After he died, I went to find her, and... I never did. If she was in the building, she didn't answer her telephone, and I tried finding her but couldn't get past the atrium. And I didn't know what floor he worked on, anyway. He complained about how slow the lift was, sometimes, but I couldn't fit inside it even if I could press the button, and it was a twelve-storey building. So I left London, found a motorway, and decided to visit the sea side. Never more than seventy miles from the coast, and I'd never seen it." He's seen it now, though.

Looking at how much dust and dirt there is, giving Bentley a good clean would probably knock his solar efficiency percentage up quite a bit. Also, he's fully electric- no engine, but three batteries in the floor that slot under the chassis. There's several motors, but Vlad will probably note that his wheels are part of a subassembly that can be pulled out and in quite easily, consisting of the wheel, the motor powering the wheel, a brake, suspension, a steering knuckle and a little computer unit controlling it all. He's four-wheel-drive and each wheel can turn independently, meaning despite being relatively long he's quite agile- or at least he should be. One of his wheels is jammed in place; the control arms visibly loose. It'd be a bigger issue if the computer unit wasn't constantly running diagnostics and disabling the mechanism before it breaks completely and damages something else. All four brake pads are very worn, which is why one sticks.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Gullara »

Arkhosia wrote: May 13, 2023 5:13 pm [Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

My, what a look. Dulcinea doesn't comment, but she does note it down. Was Vax's nature and expertise in life energy something others were meant to keep secret? Or was this just chastisement over hyping someone up with the promise of a solution to a problem she isn't able to fix?

Or even spicier, not permitted to fix?

"Oh, of course!" She raises her hands palm-up like a man in a barfight, flashing her "most innocentest girl in the whole wide world" expression. "Don't mistake me, Mrs. Vax - I came here having made peace with the fact that I am almost certainly finished. And I'm very aware of the potential cost and consequences of undeath. Mrs. Zhareen and I had a lovely chat about those various things on our way up here, in fact!" A mild stretch when it was more her countering Zhareen's eager suggestions, but a bit of praise probably wouldn't hurt there, would it?

"Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not interested in whatever you and your organization might be able to offer me - necromantic, curative or simply in easing my pain in the meantime." She turns down the sunniness here and folds one hand over the other. "And, of course, what I might be able to offer you in return." It's time to talk business.
Shadowcaller wrote: May 14, 2023 12:34 pm [Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

'Offer them in return'? Zhareen glances nervously at Dulcinea, her gaze having been held firmly downwards until this point. Surely she didn't mean...
Since if they indeed helped her with extending her lifespan wouldn't that be counter-intuitive? Or was she counting on a way that didn't include her body?

The only thing she adds to the conversation however is a "uh, yeah, we did." when Dulcie mentions them having a chat. "But I also mentioned that necromancy wasn't my specialty, young miss. I'm an oracle. I do, uh, other things. So you should trust Vax more than me in this situation."
[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"Let me be clear. I don't offer these warnings as information prior to offering them. It's not within my talents nor among my interests to extend life by such means. My wife, of course, knows this, but can get swept up in the moment." Vax gives Zhareen another, thankfully less severe, disapproving look.

"As for what we can do, we'd investigate the capability of spirits and other such beings in offering solutions for your problem, and then we can broker if they exist. We aren't a charity and do charge for our services, but I wouldn't sully the name of the Fourth Tower by asking for payment before success is assured."

She pauses there for a brief moment, but not so long that Dulcinea can begin to reply. Her eyes are boring again. "You truly are prepared for your own death. There's something admirable about that in one so young, if sad."
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Reinholdt »

[Fairy Tales]

"I am hard vetoing Toby for any of the names, sorry." Reinholdt says, shifting slightly. No one offered a band name at all either! Rein will have to improvise.

"Right, ok. So the dog's name is Lula, the dragon's will be Yung Sune, and they both listen to the band Bing Bang Bonk." Rein makes some final notes on the whiteboard.

"Alright, I believe that's everything. Thank you all for coming to help with this. Stay on your guard a bit in case the King in Rags takes some personal offense to this."
► The Story So Far
[Infirmary -> Library]

"Experience is handy." Rein has a lot of experience just interrupting people, but not while they're reading. Seraphina might get to take point here.

"Was it a worthy bribe? Did it work?" Bookstore bribes can be powerful.

The library is quite extensive and has a different feel to the air than the rest of HALO. Largely because there's a lot of extra filters to prevent the library from getting humid and protect the books for longevity. The feeling is partially amplified by the one person sitting at the front desk. She is nose deep in a heavy looking book, completely oblivious to Rein and Seraphina's approach. The human librarian has her hair tied up in a bun so it won't get in her eyes as she reads. She's not quite malnourished, but she's a bit on the hasn't eaten in a while because she's reading side. Reinholdt motions at Maria the librarian to indicate she's who Seraphina is looking for. Rein even clears his throat to get Maria's attention.

He fails.
► SHOW SPOILER
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Arkhosia »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

An oracle? Huh. That definitely gets filed away. Strange how she kept running into people with oracular powers that were surprisingly nice to her. She reclines in her chair and listens dutifully to Vax's explanation, though there's the slightest quirk of the eyebrow at the mention of the Fourth Tower not being a charity. It had seemed a fair assumption from its association with HALO.

"...I am, yes." Dulcinea nods, letting out a breath. "I... I suppose I have been since last fall. At least at some level. Refusing amputation sealed my fate in retrospect." And now she'd denied her sweet Kahu of a long life together, all because of some stubborn pride and refusal to accept a bit of self-sacrifice. All she could do now was make up for it before she finally left her behind. The girl is swift to hide the melancholy in her eyes though, burying it immediately in that businesslike veil.

"My family and friends have some familiarity with spirits, but I imagine we'd all be much more comfortable leaving those to the experts such as yourself. As for payment, my family is fairly well-off, and the offer of my post-mortem remains, well, remains on the table." She can't help a macabre little giggle. "I doubt Reilana or my parents will be too happy with it, but - well, it is my body after all."
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Thursday Violist »

[Fairy Tales]

Venus, of course, wonders why 'Toby' is on the hard-veto list. Did Rein have a dog named Toby once? Or maybe a friend named Toby? Or maybe an enemy?
Regardless, it doesn't really matter.

"Okay," Venus says.
She would stand up right now to get ready to leave, but she's been standing this whole time. Kinda comes with the territory of chairs being designed for people who are less centaur-shaped than she is.

Oh!
Last thing comes to mind. "So when we've got a printed version of the story, can I have a copy? So I can help spread it around."


[-> Library]

The trick to interrupting people who are reading is
um
to be honest, Seraphina doesn't know the trick to it.

"To put it simply, the value I got out of the bribe was worth a lot more than the gift card," she says. She shrugs.
Admittedly, it's not because she got anything particularly amazing out if it, but rather she knew any books she brought with her would get quickly destroyed or lost due to the weather or just for the simple fact of, for example, running into a robo-dinosaur in the middle of the woods and needing to get out of there quickly.

Seraphina glances at Maria's book cover to check if it's a book she knows...probably not, haha? She figures with a multiverse's books available, it's really unlikely she'll encounter one she knows.

Okay, time to turn this up to eleven, she thinks. She leans on the desk, with one arm holding the cloak and the other with her head resting on it. She waits, partly to let Maria get a little accustomed to Seraphina being right there and watches Maria's face closely...waiting for the perfect moment - a page turn, a moment's distraction, or a break in concentration.

When it seems that moment has arrived, she lets her hand fall and smack the desk near the book, making a light thud while trying to make it appear accidental. Not like she's trying to get someone's attention (even though she totally is) but her hand just happened to slip. "Hey," she says, before immediately dialing her tone back to a little softer, "What are you reading? Is it good?"
Experience interrupting people. Or something like that. In spite of the cloak she always wears and hides herself with, she does have just a bit of that attention whore in her.

And now, to just bite her lip and hope this works.

Should Maria decide to get her attention stolen, she'll suddenly see a KINDA-UP-CLOSE look at Seraphina's face! Eyes like blood, hair like snow, ears nearly like an elf's, freckles like...freckles i guess, teeth like the canines are just a little pointier than usual, and the impression that she would really really like it if Maria started talking to her and she would be pretty sad if she got ignored.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Gullara »

Arkhosia wrote: May 18, 2023 3:09 pm [Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

An oracle? Huh. That definitely gets filed away. Strange how she kept running into people with oracular powers that were surprisingly nice to her. She reclines in her chair and listens dutifully to Vax's explanation, though there's the slightest quirk of the eyebrow at the mention of the Fourth Tower not being a charity. It had seemed a fair assumption from its association with HALO.

"...I am, yes." Dulcinea nods, letting out a breath. "I... I suppose I have been since last fall. At least at some level. Refusing amputation sealed my fate in retrospect." And now she'd denied her sweet Kahu of a long life together, all because of some stubborn pride and refusal to accept a bit of self-sacrifice. All she could do now was make up for it before she finally left her behind. The girl is swift to hide the melancholy in her eyes though, burying it immediately in that businesslike veil.

"My family and friends have some familiarity with spirits, but I imagine we'd all be much more comfortable leaving those to the experts such as yourself. As for payment, my family is fairly well-off, and the offer of my post-mortem remains, well, remains on the table." She can't help a macabre little giggle. "I doubt Reilana or my parents will be too happy with it, but - well, it is my body after all."
[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

Vax likewise doesn't linger on any melancholy she picks up. Dulcinea's personal matters are not hers to dig into. "Very well, we can schedule a time for you to come back for an examination, with one of your guardians. We can sort out the matter of payment then; we're not interested in exploiting a family in need, mind, but we do need to support our independent research." She explains.

"As for your remains, I already explained that we don't charge without producing results. Besides, there's something distasteful about that framing." There's the slightest wrinkle of the nose at that. "However I'm surprised at Halo. Cadavers are an important element of many forms of research." She arches and eyebrow at Zhareen. Perhaps she had more context.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Shadowcaller »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"Ehh... I believe that Dorota felt that the whole business was uncomfortable, unpleasant even. Pretty sure she has no experience with, ah, corpses. Which is why she declined the offer and fled her lab really." She looks to Dulcie. "You might have had better luck asking someone else. Though I can't tell you who exactly."
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Arkhosia »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"I wouldn't call it fled, really - more of a 'stormed off', if we're being honest." Dulcinea accompanies this with another dismissive wave of the hand even as she tries to downplay the severity in Zhareen's description. "Mildly unprofessional, really."

"And I'd be glad to schedule a time with you as soon as possible, Mrs. Vax. I think I may even have a couple days in mind that should work out just fine for us, though of course I'll have to verify to be sure." There's an incredibly minute flicker in her chipper demeanor at the mention of needing one of her guardians present. Bothersome, if understandable.
"Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not, we never are. But that's not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?"
~Welcome to Night Vale
SliiArhem wrote:Arkh I may be slightly delirious but I don't think that would make sense even if I was coherent.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Gullara »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"Zhareen, we could make use of a cadaver." Vax reminds her wife. The research of the Fourth Tower can be quite varied. It would surely come up.

"But that's a thought to be left for the future. I'd rather focus on the immediate task where avoid that eventuality, but you can consider our organization an option. Otherwise yes, we'll arrange a time for you to come back very soon and we'll see what we can do." Vax says after having shifted her attention back to Dulcinea.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Ironsmith »

Earl of Purple wrote: May 15, 2023 12:06 pm Outside, Near the Shuttles

"Indeed. Well, I explored. My owner didn't often want to go anywhere exciting; from his house, to his job, and back again, and then on weekends sometimes to the golf course. He's dead now, well, I would assume that's obvious." Given his earlier mention that humans are extinct where he comes from. "I should miss him, but... I don't think he appreciated me much. I was told to call him Mister Brown, and he never called me anything but Bentley. He gave his PAs a name, called them Wendy, although personal assistant robots typically have a Class Three brain. I met two of them, both dead too. Artificial obsolescence." There's a moment of silence, before Bentley speaks again.

"I met Wendy three times, and I miss her more than Mister Brown. She was friendly, and we moaned about him a little. There wasn't much else to talk about, really. He kept her at his office, not letting her home. After he died, I went to find her, and... I never did. If she was in the building, she didn't answer her telephone, and I tried finding her but couldn't get past the atrium. And I didn't know what floor he worked on, anyway. He complained about how slow the lift was, sometimes, but I couldn't fit inside it even if I could press the button, and it was a twelve-storey building. So I left London, found a motorway, and decided to visit the sea side. Never more than seventy miles from the coast, and I'd never seen it." He's seen it now, though.

Looking at how much dust and dirt there is, giving Bentley a good clean would probably knock his solar efficiency percentage up quite a bit. Also, he's fully electric- no engine, but three batteries in the floor that slot under the chassis. There's several motors, but Vlad will probably note that his wheels are part of a subassembly that can be pulled out and in quite easily, consisting of the wheel, the motor powering the wheel, a brake, suspension, a steering knuckle and a little computer unit controlling it all. He's four-wheel-drive and each wheel can turn independently, meaning despite being relatively long he's quite agile- or at least he should be. One of his wheels is jammed in place; the control arms visibly loose. It'd be a bigger issue if the computer unit wasn't constantly running diagnostics and disabling the mechanism before it breaks completely and damages something else. All four brake pads are very worn, which is why one sticks.
[Outside, Near the Shuttles]

"Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Uh-huh." Vlad finds himself repeating as Bentley shares his story, starting with a simple but thorough cleaning process. Air-dusting should make for a simple and effective way to clean off the solar panels, along with anything else of a more delicate persuasion. As he works, Vlad's mostly just nodding along to the information Bentley shares; fixing the mechanical parts is going to take most of his concentration, though if he's being perfectly honest with himself, the lack of context he has for the car's ramblings certainly isn't doing the story any favors. Even if Bentley was a real person, Vlad wouldn't be too invested in following along.

As he gets to the sub-assemblies, Vlad lets out a little sigh and sets to work removing them. The odds favor that every component in them will need replacing entirely, which means he'll have to machine several new parts in a relatively short span of time; it might be faster for him to simply build something vaguely compatible and count on Bentley to soft-patch any discrepancies itself. That is, after all, at least half the point of putting such an advanced AI in charge of the vehicle's every function; in any other context, it made more sense to have it serve as a supplement to a human driver.

"...Now how on earth did you manage that?" Vlad mutters to himself as he looks over the anomalous jamming.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Reinholdt »

[Fairy Tales]

All of the above is probably the answer Rein would give Venus if she asked.

"Yeah, of course. Any help we can get spreading the story is appreciated." Hmmm... probably should have came up with a title as well. Oh well.

[Library]

Robo dinosaurs are aggressively against reading for some reason. Maybe because their arms are too short.

A page turn is probably Seraphina's best bet and when she smacks the desk, Maria is visibly startled. Apparently her rudeness of ignoring the library customers isn't entirely intentional. It's just that Kobolds: The Trap of Technological Innovation Amidst Draconic Reverence Volume 3 is just that riveting. Most people agree it peaked in volume one though.

The mousey librarian's eyes make it to Seraphina's and there's an adjustment of her own glasses. "Oh-uh-I-err... I am currently studying Kobolds: The Trap of Technological Innovation Amidst Draconic Reverence Volume 3. It offers historical parallels to certain eras among various tribes and cultures that I find enlightening." Maria blushes softly, her eyes glancing away from Seraphina's and slowly starting to slide back towards the book, as if looking for permission to resume reading. Seraphina was just too pretty to stare directly at. Well that and she was really close. And also book.

But Maria doesn't want to make Seraphina sad, so the librarian's eyes kind of end up in a purgatory between the book and Seraphina's, struggling to decide on one or the other. "Ahh... book check outs are automatic." Maria helpfully posits in hopes of resolving this difficult situation.
► SHOW SPOILER
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Shadowcaller »

Gullara wrote: May 21, 2023 6:15 pm [Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"Zhareen, we could make use of a cadaver." Vax reminds her wife. The research of the Fourth Tower can be quite varied. It would surely come up.

"But that's a thought to be left for the future. I'd rather focus on the immediate task where avoid that eventuality, but you can consider our organization an option. Otherwise yes, we'll arrange a time for you to come back very soon and we'll see what we can do." Vax says after having shifted her attention back to Dulcinea.
[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"Oh. I wasn't sure if we were included in Halo or not." Zhareen admits as she strokes her chin.
Then she turns to Dulcie again. "But what did you think of the painting idea? I know how busy you teenagers are but this wouldn't take long at all."
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Earl of Purple »

Outside, Near The Shuttles

Well, the good news is, if he decides to machine replacement parts, the wheel assembly is designed so all four are identical. And the issue with Bentley's jammed wheel is Earl's own lack of engineering knowledge; I have no idea how such a device might break to produce the results I'd previously stated (in this case, the wheel locking into one position) and had to make something up.

In brighter news, Bentley reports that the airdusting has cleaned his solar panels up to a 85% efficiency, which is low but within the operator's manual for acceptable. And his electronic nature and human construction means Vlad can probably figure out a lot of what's going on. Bentley was designed to be quite easy to maintain- as the modular nature of his wheel assemblies attest- but also designed for rider comfort, and the combination means the wheel assemblies themselves are quite robust; many parts are worn, especially the breaks and tyres, but Bentley was built to last, of high-end parts. There's some more unusual flaws as a result of his long-term reliance on parts that should have been replaced, but he's in surprisingly good condition. His tyres are worn, but the airless technology used to produce them has prevented Bentley developing flats.

Also, whilst he's under Bentley, if Olga can pick up radar, Vlad might pick up Bentley's parking radar. The car is aware he's not got any other choice, but wants to keep an eye on Vlad anyway.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Arkhosia »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"...I might - aheh - have an idea about that, now," the girl muses. She tilts her head and regards the scaly woman briefly. "If you'll forgive me for being a little unorthodox - do you think your friend in the camera would have any talent for landscapes?" A beat. "If it wouldn't be any trouble, of course! I'd hate to inconvenience the both of you just for little ol' me." Her smile does a very convincing job of selling this.
"Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not, we never are. But that's not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?"
~Welcome to Night Vale
SliiArhem wrote:Arkh I may be slightly delirious but I don't think that would make sense even if I was coherent.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Gullara »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

Vax looks between the two. "It seems like you have another matter to attend to. If that's the case I'll return to my work." She suggests. "I'll be seeing you soon." She nods to Dulcinea.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Shadowcaller »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"Oh, of course she can!" Zhareen remarks with a grin as she gestures towards a portrait of Vax with a parasol sitting at a beach with a wast ocean behind her.
Dulcie might get the impression that Vax wasn't the one that hanged this painting in her office as it doesn't really fit her style. Also, the parasol has crabs on it.
"Very talented at it in fact. So what do you need?" But before Dulcie can answer the question Zhareen has moved up to Vax and kissed her cheek and given her a light but loving ruffle of the diim's 'hair' before turning back to their guest once more. Now moving to leave the office. "Thank you so much for your time, love!"
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Thursday Violist »

Reinholdt wrote: May 22, 2023 5:24 am [Library]

Robo dinosaurs are aggressively against reading for some reason. Maybe because their arms are too short.

A page turn is probably Seraphina's best bet and when she smacks the desk, Maria is visibly startled. Apparently her rudeness of ignoring the library customers isn't entirely intentional. It's just that Kobolds: The Trap of Technological Innovation Amidst Draconic Reverence Volume 3 is just that riveting. Most people agree it peaked in volume one though.

The mousey librarian's eyes make it to Seraphina's and there's an adjustment of her own glasses. "Oh-uh-I-err... I am currently studying Kobolds: The Trap of Technological Innovation Amidst Draconic Reverence Volume 3. It offers historical parallels to certain eras among various tribes and cultures that I find enlightening." Maria blushes softly, her eyes glancing away from Seraphina's and slowly starting to slide back towards the book, as if looking for permission to resume reading. Seraphina was just too pretty to stare directly at. Well that and she was really close. And also book.

But Maria doesn't want to make Seraphina sad, so the librarian's eyes kind of end up in a purgatory between the book and Seraphina's, struggling to decide on one or the other. "Ahh... book check outs are automatic." Maria helpfully posits in hopes of resolving this difficult situation.
[Library]

Seraphina objects! She doesn't think she's 'too pretty to stare directly at'! (Then again, she also thinks her hair is still red and her eyes, green, so she would be an unreliable narrator)

Right now is a very crucial moment! If she wavers even a little, Maria will go right back to reading, and then Seraphina would feel too awkward to interrupt again. Probably.
"Um, actually..." Seraphina glances back at Rein, then at Maria again. "we were hoping for an expert opinion on a magical injury, since neither of us know enough about magic to say how it should be treated." With a tilt of her head, she gestures at Rein. "He said you're pretty smart and that you'd likely know, and even if you didn't you'd know where to find a book that would be perfect for identifying and what, if any, treatment is needed for it."
Although Seraphina doesn't recall Rein ever saying that, she considers it more of a bluff than a lie since she's pretty sure he would say it, if he felt like it.

Seraphina bites her lip.

Actually, she's getting a little nervous, that she was maybe a little too pushy and annoying, and now Maria's going to reject offering to help.
So Seraphina nervously starts talking about the first thing that comes to her mind, in order to push back when Maria rejects them.
She gestures at Maria's book: "I actually don't know much, if anything, about dragons and their influence on societies," she says, "but reading about the progression of technology is really interesting, I think I'm going to have to learn more about that later."
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Arkhosia »

► SHOW SPOILER
[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"Of course, I won't disturb you any longer. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Vax!" Dulcinea rises from her seat and inclines her head in a brief curtsy, watching the wives with a pleasant little smile. The two of them really were cute together, even so strikingly different.

Dulcinea all too happy to follow Zhareen out of the office, lighting up once more in her usual chipper way - only to falter a few steps out the door. A sudden and violent coughing fit sneaks up on her, bad enough that she's forced to pause and lean against the wall for support. "Sorry, er - I was saying -" The girl forces a smile to bubble to the surface as she wipes the corner of her mouth. "We were talking about portraiture, yes?"
"Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not, we never are. But that's not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?"
~Welcome to Night Vale
SliiArhem wrote:Arkh I may be slightly delirious but I don't think that would make sense even if I was coherent.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Reinholdt »

[Library]

Reinholdt didn't have any trouble staring at Seraphina. Maybe Maria has a type. Or she just finds people awkward to begin with.

"Oh?" Maria wasn't aware this wasn't a library visit. She looks up again and... Seraphina's right! Reinholdt is here. She completely missed that. For a second she's distracted by Seraphina's mention of Maria's book though and Maria glances back at it. "It's less about dragons and more about the impact of any fanatical worship of a single entity and how that affects technological development. Kobolds just frequently make dragons a source of their reverence, thus providing an excellent basis for study. The title is a tad misleading though."

Maria closes the book and pays some closer attention to Seraphina now. "Which party is injured?"
► SHOW SPOILER
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Shadowcaller »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

Zhareen waves good-bye as she leaves and then closes the door behind her before turning to Dulcie, giving her a concerned look as she suddenly breaks out in a coughing fit. "Er, yes. If you feel up for it of course. You would only really need to sit down somewhere for a while so at least it wouldn't be especially taxing. The real choice should be what kind of background you want." The merfolk leans in closer and lowers her voice. "Zhyrie isn't great at drawing hands so you might want to ask to keep those out of frame or at least not focused on. But don't tell her that I said that."
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Arkhosia »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"Yes, I just - need to give my voice a rest," Dulcinea assures. She had talked a lot during her conversation with Vax, and hadn't been keen to let her realize just how much the act took out of her. Not that she wouldn't be surprised if the woman still noticed - she seemed to catch a lot of things. "And... are you sure there isn't, erm, a less taxing way down?"

"I was thinking... there's this... park we went to often as little kids. In Riverside. I don't know if she remembers it as fondly as I do, but it looks really, really pretty in the morning light." That soft, fonder expression starts to creep its way back into Dulcinea's features. "Maybe she'd - aheh - appreciate a landscape of that? if you don't mind the trip, of course."
"Are we living a life that is safe from harm? Of course not, we never are. But that's not the right question. The question is: are we living a life that is worth the harm?"
~Welcome to Night Vale
SliiArhem wrote:Arkh I may be slightly delirious but I don't think that would make sense even if I was coherent.
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Re: HALO CLXXXV: The Titles End Here

Post by Shadowcaller »

[Morbid Adventures in Occult Science]

"We are supposed to install something for that. The whole building is a fire hazard I'm told so we're having halo helping us for that. But for now I'm afraid we have to descend the usual way." Zhareen let's out a small sigh. "If you were smaller you could have ridden on me. We even have these cute little saddles- for the children of course. They love that sort of thing." She lets out a warm chuckle.
But as they start moving down she stairs Zhareen suddenly hesitates once Dulcie mentions Riverside. "To riverside?" A beat. "Um, what part of riverside exactly? There's some, ah, legal restrictions on us in certain sections of the city. But I could just send Zhyrie with you. She knows how to find her way back."
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