HALO 182: Wait, what if we ARE Lawbreaking?

[FireFox]

[Office]

Hm? Tobias makes confused noises at Khaari before following her line of sight to Alex, at which point he makes even more confused noises that manage to suggest he just noticed the swordsman's presence. Oh, you are here. Dear, I'd like you to meet Major Alexander Reinhardt. We go way back together, to when he was just a cadet in another country's officer academy and his older sister was violently attractive. Alex, this is my daughter Khaari, she- no, don't come to attention and salute. Her ego's bad enough as it is and, well, maybe just refrain from sudden movements entirely? I was sort of hoping you two could start talking and maybe... hm, tell you what, I'd settle for you waiting until you leave my office before you start fighting.

After a wary pause to filter out the bullcrap and comprehend the point, Alex slowly stands at ease and meets her eyes for the first time. He too wonders what game is afoot.

[Beans]

[Office]

Hm? Tobias makes confused noises at Khaari before following her line of sight to Alex, at which point he makes even more confused noises that manage to suggest he just noticed the swordsman's presence. Oh, you are here. Dear, I'd like you to meet Major Alexander Reinhardt. We go way back together, to when he was just a cadet in another country's officer academy and his older sister was violently attractive. Alex, this is my daughter Khaari, she- no, don't come to attention and salute. Her ego's bad enough as it is and, well, maybe just refrain from sudden movements entirely? I was sort of hoping you two could start talking and maybe... hm, tell you what, I'd settle for you waiting until you leave my office before you start fighting.

After a wary pause to filter out the bullcrap and comprehend the point, Alex slowly stands at ease and meets her eyes for the first time. He too wonders what game is afoot.

Khaari's eyes narrow slightly. Alex seems no more aware of Tobias's current machinations (for surely they are many in number and great in scope) than she. This at least means she has less reason to be suspicious of him right away.
"Fighting? Come now, hacking at people isn't my standard greeting. I'm a certifiable madwoman, not a boor." She mulls it over for a few moments. "On the other hand... well, I do remember hearing about Major Reinhardt's skill in swordplay and I've not had a decent spar in weeks..." Smiling without appreciable amounts of malice (admittedly, this is in the same way that most tap water contains non-appreciable amounts of lead: it's still there to some degree and you wouldn't want more of it), she turns toward Alex. "Well, Major? How would you like a quick session, an Izidakhi welcome, so to speak?"
----

"The only axes I need are questions!" Civvy quips with a doofy grin, and pistoling her fingers at her new best friend. "Get it? B-b-because y-you axe . . . questions?
okay i'll stop i'm sorry Dx"

[Shuttle Dock]
Chryso tilts her head. "... Oh! Oh, okay then. Not as bad as the jokes I've heard, don't worry." She shrugs, already thinking of flower arrangements.

[Deathkeeper]

"Yeah. I just choose not to question many of HALO's oddities." Grace agrees, before clicking on a cooking torch, and melting the sugar on top of her Crème Brûlées.
"Would you like one?" She offers, as she finishes caramelizing the sugar atop the third one.

Kitchen B

Isaac raises an eyebrow at the torch. He's never seen one in action.
"Sure." he responds, curious.

[FireFox]

[Office]

Tobias tries to wave them out of his office at this point, but he's a little distracted by yet another fire to put out. A crystal on his desk lights up and a muffled voice can be heard speaking to him, but too indistinct for the other two to make out specific words. Oh, Matt! Good timing, I'm actually here with... Slow down, son... She did what? Are you sure? No... yes... I'm sure there's a good, no, calm yourself Matthew... If she wanted you to be involved, she would have told you. If you want more information, that's what the Agency is for. Call NIGHT DESK, not me... Okay. Okay! I've got to go now, uh, Khaari is... bad. Bye.
...
Oh! Sorry to interrupt you two, don't mind me, go on and have fun and we'll all catch up later. He forces a grin at them both while pouring vodka into an empty water bottle.

Alex turns his attention back to Khaari and makes up his mind that there will be less crap to deal with if he goes with her than if he gets stuck with whatever problem is springing up now. I think I'll take you up on that offer, Miss Vulpan.

[HaltTheSlayer]

"The only axes I need are questions!" Civvy quips with a doofy grin, and pistoling her fingers at her new best friend. "Get it? B-b-because y-you axe . . . questions?
okay i'll stop i'm sorry Dx"



She is, and she can! The easiest way to do it is to just 'plotclone' a character. For example, if your character is in a slow plot that could take months to finish, but you still want to use that character, you can just make a copy of them outside of the plot thread, and keep playing them.
Civvy can just actually legitly do it, though.

EDIT:
Though it does lead to missing posts when you're tired.
My apologies, Nova!



Range

"Yeah, there's someone we could definitely go talk to about that. That'd be Toby. The Boss. Make sure to call him Big Boss, he likes that the most.
Oh yeah, totally understand! I enjoy your company too, but if you want to get started, then I won't stop you! Also my duties to HALO iiis actually welcoming people, so you're not taking me from my duties here at all."

[Range]

As Civvy and Marlock pass the range, Marlock can't help but notice a second Civvy talking to Quin.
"...Do you have a twin sister, or is it just my insanity kicking in?"

[Beans]

[Office]

Tobias tries to wave them out of his office at this point, but he's a little distracted by yet another fire to put out. A crystal on his desk lights up and a muffled voice can be heard speaking to him, but too indistinct for the other two to make out specific words. Oh, Matt! Good timing, I'm actually here with... Slow down, son... She did what? Are you sure? No... yes... I'm sure there's a good, no, calm yourself Matthew... If she wanted you to be involved, she would have told you. If you want more information, that's what the Agency is for. Call NIGHT DESK, not me... Okay. Okay! I've got to go now, uh, Khaari is... bad. Bye.
...
Oh! Sorry to interrupt you two, don't mind me, go on and have fun and we'll all catch up later. He forces a grin at them both while pouring vodka into an empty water bottle.

Alex turns his attention back to Khaari and makes up his mind that there will be less crap to deal with if he goes with her than if he gets stuck with whatever problem is springing up now. I think I'll take you up on that offer, Miss Vulpan.

Khaari grins, beckoning her [~NEW FRIEND~] out into the hall and toward the training room. "So, any idea what my pops is up to? I don't think I've been any more troublesome than usual lately, and I don't imagine you being the type to mess up enough that I become some sort of sick punishment on his part." She can totally imagine being somebody's punishment, though, because of course she can.

[FireFox]

[Training Room]

No, I was just told that he wanted to speak with me before I officially took command of the Special Operations company here in the Nexus. Alex shrugs, turning it into a rolling movement of his shoulders as he starts to warm up and stretch his arms and legs. Maybe he wants this to be a learning moment for you.

[Mee]

[Shuttle Dock]
Chryso tilts her head. "... Oh! Oh, okay then. Not as bad as the jokes I've heard, don't worry." She shrugs, already thinking of flower arrangements.

Civvy high-fives herself. Not as bad as the others? That's practically a compliment! She'll take it!
"Yeah! Right. So you wanted a tour, yeah? Yeah!"

Kitchen B

Isaac raises an eyebrow at the torch. He's never seen one in action.
"Sure." he responds, curious.

Kitchen B

Then with an excited double-waggle of her eyebrows, Grace clicks on the cooking-torch again, and finishes the rest of the treats.
She then slides one of the first that she had finished over to Isaac. "It's. Um. Possibly a bit small. I guess you could try putting it in the fridge and pulling it back out? That . . . . it's almost crazy enough it just might work."

[Range]

As Civvy and Marlock pass the range, Marlock can't help but notice a second Civvy talking to Quin.
"...Do you have a twin sister, or is it just my insanity kicking in?"

]Range[

"Oh no you're probably just insane." Civvy don't be like that. "You know. Greeting people is a busy job. Even I need help doing it. You're not insane."

[Beans]

[Training Room]

No, I was just told that he wanted to speak with me before I officially took command of the Special Operations company here in the Nexus. Alex shrugs, turning it into a rolling movement of his shoulders as he starts to warm up and stretch his arms and legs. Maybe he wants this to be a learning moment for you.

Khaari raises an eyebrow split by a thin scar, face curling into a grin. She shrugs off her jacket, her bared arms revealing a crisscrossing road-map of scars. "A learning moment? Oh, do tell, what is it I'm going to learn?" She begins to warm up as well, rolling her neck with a chorus of cricks. She goes through her stances, an unusual set of warmup poses that are nonetheless effective.
---
[Shuttle Dock]
The infernal crafter nods excitedly. "Yes please, especially if we can pop by your garden at some point!" This place could use some sprucing up---a hell of a lot of flowers, for one thing, and no base is ever complete without at least some swords or axes hanging on the walls...

[Nova_Eclipse]

Range

"Oh, I see. Well, then, yes, if you know where Toby is, can you help me find him? That would be most helpful."

[HaltTheSlayer]

Marlock shrugs. "I'm already insane, just was checking. So have you been cloned, is it an illusion, do you reproduce by splitting yourself into more copies?" Marlock as Civvy pulling out a note book.

[FireFox]

[Training Room]

You'll learn what you need to. Could be a way to beat a different fighting style. Could be humility. Alex says it matter-of-factly, like he's used to humbling royal children. He takes off his sword belt and starts looking for some practice blades.

[Beans]

[Training Room]
Her smile loses several degrees of warmth before droppong entirely. "Learned humility already. That happens when your people and birth family are butchered." She itches to draw her autosabre, to scream at him for saying that to her and daring not to bring his real swords to bear. She marches over to the practice blades, selecting the one she modified to match her blade's balance and heft.

[Mee]

[Shuttle Dock]
The infernal crafter nods excitedly. "Yes please, especially if we can pop by your garden at some point!" This place could use some sprucing up---a hell of a lot of flowers, for one thing, and no base is ever complete without at least some swords or axes hanging on the walls...

"Yes! But a bit later! For now is touuuuuur eeeelsewheeeere!" And with that, Civvy leads the way on a touuuuur! It definitely doesn't take three hours though, promise! Also I could describe all the places, but I know you know them sooooooooo.

~Laziness gooooo~

Range

"Oh, I see. Well, then, yes, if you know where Toby is, can you help me find him? That would be most helpful."

Range -> Toby's Office

"Yeah, of course! He should be in his office. This way!" Civvy says, leading the way to Toby's office! Upon arrival, she knocks on the door! If there is a door. And if it's shut.
Even if it's open, she knocks. Knocking is polite.

Marlock shrugs. "I'm already insane, just was checking. So have you been cloned, is it an illusion, do you reproduce by splitting yourself into more copies?" Marlock as Civvy pulling out a note book.

Civvy just kinda shrugs. "Don't really know. They're just here. And I'm also here. I've never questioned it."

[HaltTheSlayer]

Marlock takes note of this...Which makes the idea of probing Civvy's mind even more tempting. However Marlock knows he wouldn't get away with that easily and it probably would make him look bad, so he doesn't. "Interesting...So is there a room I can have so I can get settled? I have had use multiple long range teleports to get here and it is rather tiring doing something like that."

[Mee]

Marlock takes note of this...Which makes the idea of probing Civvy's mind even more tempting. However Marlock knows he wouldn't get away with that easily and it probably would make him look bad, so he doesn't. "Interesting...So is there a room I can have so I can get settled? I have had use multiple long range teleports to get here and it is rather tiring doing something like that."

Well, Civvy would likely forgive him. She probably already knows about the surface probing, and hasn't brought it up.
It would probably be safer for him not to, though.
But there was nothing stopping him from attempting.

"Oh, yeah! Of course! This way!" And with that, Civvy leads him to the dorms! "You can pick any of these that aren't currently taken!"
The rooms, it should be noted, are of the correct size. Be it that someone wants a lot of space, then the room is much larger. Some people only need a closet? It's a really small room. HALO rooms are weird, and always seem to just be what the person who opens the door first wants.

[FireFox]

[Training Room]

Alex steps towards Khaari with his right foot and points his left foot to the side, both legs slightly bent at the knee. He holds his practice sword to the left behind his body with the left hand high on the grip and the right hand on low. The tip of the training blade is pointed at the floor so that the only part she can actually see is the pommel facing towards her. Hope she wasn't too mad to get a look at his sword's length before he settled into that obscuring stance. That's kind of an important thing to know before you move closer. Hmm. Finesse, then?


[Toby's Office]

Come in. Tobias takes a healthy swig from his water bottle before setting it to the side of his desk.

[Beans]

[Training Room]
"Maybe restraint---after all, we are using practice swords like good boys and girls. I already miss the autosabre chattering." To her credit, she kept her eyes on his sword earlier and seems to have gauged its reach well enough; she edges toward him, beginning to circle. Her eyes are never still, flicking across his body---eyes, hips, feet, shoulders. They're hungry for any little tells.

[Nova_Eclipse]

Range -> Toby's Office

Quin follows Civvy calmly, and does his best to try not to seem too imposing. He watches calmly as she knocks on the door, and waits to see whether Toby is actually in his office or not.

[HaltTheSlayer]

[marlock's dorm]

Marlock open the door to his new room and it is somewhat large as Marlock would need it to move in his research materials and equipment. He smiles at this and turns to Civvy.
"I have some...Arranging I need to do. I appreciate the tour and look forward to working with you in the future."

[Mee]

[Toby's Office]

Come in. Tobias takes a healthy swig from his water bottle before setting it to the side of his desk.

Range -> Toby's Office

Quin follows Civvy calmly, and does his best to try not to seem too imposing. He watches calmly as she knocks on the door, and waits to see whether Toby is actually in his office or not.

Toby's Office

He is definitely in!
Civvy leads the duo into the office. "I have a new member here, who would like to know about any possible jobs or things he could help out with?" She asks of the Big Boss of HALO.

[marlock's dorm]

Marlock open the door to his new room and it is somewhat large as Marlock would need it to move in his research materials and equipment. He smiles at this and turns to Civvy.
"I have some...Arranging I need to do. I appreciate the tour and look forward to working with you in the future."

"Yeah, of course! You are welcome! Also did I mention we have a lab? Because we have a lab, too. If you wanted to see what they've got."

[FireFox]

[Training Room]

It is harder to unintentionally cause injury with practice swords, Alex allows. So she's not dumb enough to charge him. He adjusts his footing and slowly brings his sword up to point to the ceiling above him at a slight rearward angle. From Waki-gamae to Hassō-no-kamae with a quiet economy of motion. He makes no effort to keep Khaari from circling behind him. The only thing she can read from his body language is confidence in the ability to counterattack in any direction from this stance. Once his feet are planted he stands firm like a tree that can weather a storm or two. No further movement means no more tells for her to read. If you don't think I'm here to teach you something, then what do you suspect His Majesty is planning?


[Office]

Tobias scrutinizes Civvy with an unusual amount of suspicion for a moment before turning his attention to Quin. The Commander of HALO is a middleaged man with a few silver hairs standing out from all the red ones. He looks in pretty good shape for someone who sits behind a desk, but lacks the physique of a warrior. He doesn't look imposing or impressive at all, honestly, unless you can sense magical power. The only visual thing distinguishing him from a mundane human are his fox eyes: dark orange irises with vertical slit pupils. What is the new member's name and does he have anything in particular he likes to do?

[Beans]

[Training Room]
Khaari finds this... troubling. Reinhardt seems confident that he does not need to care about what angle she comes from. His stillness unnerves her, but perhaps two can play that song. She doesn't know the words, but she's heard a few bars and can at least whistle along, or so she thinks.

Behind him, Khaari settles a little uneasily, dropping to one knee. Her sword is at her side, held as if in a scabbard, and every muscle sears with readiness for stored power to flash into movement. Unfortunately, she already hates this and wonders how Reinhardt can make it work. Maybe you just have to be a nerd.
"Prove a point? Start debates in the Vulpanian schools of swordsmanship? Make one of us look good? Make at least one of us look bad? Intimidate Little Feat into producing more albums, again?" She pauses. "... Bake sale?"

[The Bushranger]

[Kitchen]

"Well then let's get this ope-" Civvy starts to say, and starts to move to help open the door, before Dani's cuteness-bomb goes off, and fully blasts her out of the kitchen head over heels so that the other scene can continue with minimal interference!

Without getting lost all that many times on the way there, Esmock finally arrived at his destination, fully prepared after his talk with Grant not to see Dani... and paused, when he did see her, and only then realized he went to HALO sort of on a whim and didn't really know what he was going to say when he saw her.
It had been so long, and, what with time distortion between dimensions, probably longer for him.
And somebody else seemed to be in the kitchen and that made him self conscious about being nice without any pretenses. Like, y'know, or not.
His tail flicked, and he knocked on the door frame. "'scuse me."

The fridge opened for Civvy without any complaints, drawing an adorable glare from Dani with a huff. She leans in to grab her ice cream, and when she hears a voice, she squeaks, looking around in surprise-

"Oh! Long time no see!" Her grin is broad. And possibly contagious. "You're just in time for ice cream!"

[Nova_Eclipse]

[Office]

Quin follows Civvy into the office, the massive mecha-person still getting used to being in a place that dynamically resizes doors and ceilings to accommodate someone of his size and bulk. He nods politely at Toby, before answering.

"My name is Quin Mantha.EXE, but everyone calls me Quin. I like learning things and helping people in general, that's why I joined, but I'm not really good at much other than fighting and moving heavy objects around. I do try to reason with people before resorting to violence, but it doesn't always work."

[Siena]

[Kitchen]

The fridge opened for Civvy without any complaints, drawing an adorable glare from Dani with a huff. She leans in to grab her ice cream, and when she hears a voice, she squeaks, looking around in surprise-

"Oh! Long time no see!" Her grin is broad. And possibly contagious. "You're just in time for ice cream!"

Indeed it was, and Esmock gave her a big happy one in response. "Awh, hell yeah." A happy, well adjusted and healthy demeanor hadn't been new on the demon for awhile, but it would be so to Dani - he was aloof and slowly starving to death last time she saw him. Her necklace really did have a healing effect on his life. "Here to let you know how Kwen has been," he said, in fact starting with a topic other than the one he was really here for.

[HaltTheSlayer]

Toby's Office

He is definitely in!
Civvy leads the duo into the office. "I have a new member here, who would like to know about any possible jobs or things he could help out with?" She asks of the Big Boss of HALO.



"Yeah, of course! You are welcome! Also did I mention we have a lab? Because we have a lab, too. If you wanted to see what they've got."

Marlock looks intrigued by this.
"Really? I have not had a proper lab in quite some time...sure I would love to see what the lab has to offer." Marlock closes his door and figures he will work out his room later.

[Mee]

[Office]

Tobias scrutinizes Civvy with an unusual amount of suspicion for a moment before turning his attention to Quin. The Commander of HALO is a middleaged man with a few silver hairs standing out from all the red ones. He looks in pretty good shape for someone who sits behind a desk, but lacks the physique of a warrior. He doesn't look imposing or impressive at all, honestly, unless you can sense magical power. The only visual thing distinguishing him from a mundane human are his fox eyes: dark orange irises with vertical slit pupils. What is the new member's name and does he have anything in particular he likes to do?

Civvy waves a bit, not seeming to notice the suspicion. She looks about ready to speak, but then Quin speaks for himself. Civvy thinks that's much better than her speaking for him, and just kinda fades into the background a bit.

[Office]

Quin follows Civvy into the office, the massive mecha-person still getting used to being in a place that dynamically resizes doors and ceilings to accommodate someone of his size and bulk. He nods politely at Toby, before answering.

"My name is Quin Mantha.EXE, but everyone calls me Quin. I like learning things and helping people in general, that's why I joined, but I'm not really good at much other than fighting and moving heavy objects around. I do try to reason with people before resorting to violence, but it doesn't always work."

Civvy can answer questions as needed, but otherwise is skippable.

Marlock looks intrigued by this.
"Really? I have not had a proper lab in quite some time...sure I would love to see what the lab has to offer." Marlock closes his door and figures he will work out his room later.

"B-but aren't you tired?" Civvy asks, blinking a few times. People are so confusing! "This way! You know, if you want?" With that, if he does actually want to go, she'll lead him to the lab! A description of which will be in the next post as I'm out of time for this one.

[Morty]

[Pod Entrance]

A somewhat familiar figure staggers into the sea base. It's Thariza, but she looks different. There are white streaks in her fur, and visible scars here and there. One of her horns is broken, and both of them gradually turn white at the end. Instead of the armour she wore last time she was here, she's wearing a black-and-blue plate that looks like it was made by someone unused to making it for humanoids. She has her usual mace and shield with her, though.

[Deathkeeper]

Kitchen

Isaac shakes his head.
"It's fine. I don't mind it being small." he says, though he does have to be careful with the tiny spoon. So tiny.