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Post by Warrior on Apr 12, 2022 10:18:39 GMT -8
#s://i~imgur~com/stQVi94~png Continuing from her endeavors on Lynux Island, Faith came walking up to the navi behind the reception desk in the main lobby of OEL. Seeing a navi in the real world interested her, but it wasn't her first time here so it wasn't a new sight now that she understood the explanation behind that anomaly.
She was holding the reimbursement papers of her confiscated plane that Everett Higsby had given her during their exchange, evidently here to get more insight on how to move forward with that process.
" Hello there! I'm here on business. "
She didn't flash the papers, but they were clearly visible enough for their implication to be obvious as to what exactly her business was. It had only been a few hours since that whole ordeal had passed, so it was uncanny of her to come here already in effort to resolve that issue so quickly, but she did have the demeanor of a woman that liked to deal with her responsibilities immediately rather than sitting on them, so it wasn't as alarming when viewed at that angle.
" Is Mr. Tuttle in today, by chance? "
Even still, she was chirpy and derpy as ever for a girl that had just lost her plane to the agency. Leave it to a rich girl to not have broken a sweat about that.
(( Raven8 -- requesting audience with Tuttle ))
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Post by Raven8 on Apr 13, 2022 7:13:13 GMT -8
The Navi behind the desk gives a warm smile to Faith while taking her papers in hand.
Navi: You must be Ms. Faith! Everett told us that you'd be in soon, so we've already started the paperwork on our end and should be able to finish s-
PING!
A loud, sharp, metallic sound rings out through the halls, causing everyone in the waiting room to take immediate notice. The receptionist in particular winces hard at this sound and shrinks off to the side instinctively with a worried look across her face. It's at this moment that Faith would know that her request was about to be fulfilled, whether she liked it or not.
Rounding the corner and standing behind the desk he makes his presence known. A long, dark coat covers a white turtle-neck sweater and reveals a pair of heavy gloves that grip the white, ball-like head of a reddish iron cane. Atop his head sits an almost cartoonish top-hat with a red band just above the wide brim. Beneath this brim peers out harsh, unyielding eyes and an face with sharp features, not the least of which is a prominent nose. The man takes a few exaggerated steps forward, and soon whips his heavy cane around like a sword, pointing the end of it a mere foot or so from Faith's face as one of his signature rants begin.
Tuttle: What unfortunate circumstances have you now wrought by your own hand? What folly will now befall the world at the hands of your personal quest for knowledge? How long have you followed knowledge like a blind dog, seeking it as the only salvation in your time of need, while the specter of wisdom follows you, seeking to warn you of the dangers of your beloved master. But once again, you follow this unfeeling master to your own folly, and now the world must pay the price for your foolishness! Where will you be when the seeds of your mistakes germinate, and the world must reap the harvest that your very hand has planted? What defense will you raise when you stare into the cold eyes of that which you have given new life to? Will you tell it that your curiosity has justified the destruction that it seeks to bring? Foolish girl; your choices have consequences. You will feel only the smallest fraction of these consequences, yet you will be crushed by them, and the world itself will weep in agony from a moment of curiosity; knowledge unleashed, and wisdom ignored!
Tuttle slams his cane into the ground, resounding another sharp "PING" as he glares at Faith with a harsh expression of disgust.
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Post by Warrior on Apr 13, 2022 14:41:10 GMT -8
#s://i~imgur~com/stQVi94~png " ? "
The loud ping caught Faith's attention -- and everyone else's in the facility for that matter -- as she turned to witness the scene that unfolded. Her skittery expression was turned more skittish as he pointed his cane at her and continued; a transition from looking surprised to looking amused as the speech went on.
" Quite the scene-maker, I see. For some reason I had imagined you'd be more subtle. "
That idea was based on Exa's description, of course. But to be fair, there was a subtlety about that demeanor of his as well: most folks aren't suspicious of the person that seems to have nothing to hide.
Exa had already informed her that this individual had some sort of involvement in his plans with Geminus, which was what she had really come here for. Faith left her documents with the receptionist, having no need for those anymore as she let the Navi do her work before turning her attention back to Tuttle.
" You're quite right on all accounts, I'm afraid. I'd like to start turning that all around, though. Any advice for a reckless girl and her poor choices? "
Him taking her as a fool seemed to sit completely fine with her: she could basically ask whatever she wanted now without being seen as a pryer and it'd just be chalked up to her foolishness.
Her expression looked shy now, faintly blushing as she pointed to the onlookers all around. Whether that was a genuine emotion or not coming from her was hard to read at this point as she went on to request a more private setting than the one he had put them both in now.
" But... maybe without all the spectacle? "
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Post by Raven8 on Apr 13, 2022 16:55:26 GMT -8
Tuttle practically snarls at Faith's response, slamming his old, iron cane into the ground with a sharp "PING". He then stares daggers into her eyes with his own, glaring at her intently... until his eyes slowly and deliberately shift, scanning across the reception room while practically inviting Faith to follow along. The room is filled with several OEL Navis, OEL personnel, and visitors, yet they all are doing their absolute best to ignore Tuttle as he makes his outburst. He then returns his harsh gaze to the girl, holding the white ball atop his cane and slamming its iron end into the floor with yet another sharp "PING".
Tuttle: What is spectacle, but that which those nearby desire to experience for themselves, if only indirectly? No, foolish girl; we see that which we desire to see, both in ourselves and in others, for it is our lot in life to understand what we see in others, if only for our direct benefit! We search for happiness in others that we may obtain it for ourselves, just as we search for cruelty to avoid it, lest it comes near us! When those who bring happiness leave us, with them goes their happiness for many fools who feel they lack that which they already have. And what of the cruel? Though the cruel leave us, their cruelty and evil will yet remain. Though they vacate our presence, the pressure of their ideals stain our minds and hearts, causing us to take with us that which will be our undoing. Be mindful, child; the only way to cleanse the stain of the cruel is by purity of the very soul! Find yourself, lest the evils of this world take hold and sway you to bitterness by the power of their own souls!
With his eyes still dead-locked onto Faith, Tuttle once again raises his cane and slams it down with a loud "PING", this time raising a hand in disgust and waving the girl off before turning around and returning to the hallway from whence he came.
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Post by Warrior on Apr 13, 2022 17:59:57 GMT -8
#s://i~imgur~com/stQVi94~png " ... "
Faith's eyes followed where he led them, as was intended, noticing most of the folks were now making an effort to ignore the situation despite the commotion of it all. As Tuttle's eyes snapped back to her, so too did her attention return to him as he continued on -- after she would deliberately eye the ball on the end of his cane each time he pinged it on the ground as loudly as he did.
She kept up her bright attitude through it all; the "nice girl" persona being quite challenged by his own rebuking, though.
" I'll keep that all in mind. Oh, but one more thing if you could just spare me a moment longer... "
She lunged forward as he turned to leave, grabbing the same white orb on his staff as an almost urgent attempt to stop his departure, albeit in as non-hostile as a way that was possible for such a sudden movement.
" I met a new friend recently, which I'm sure you've heard about. "
It was the entire reason her plane was confiscated, after all.
" On that happy-to-cruel spectrum of yours, how would you rate someone like Geminus? "
She let go of the cane then, covering her mouth with that hand as if to wipe the word from her mouth, still keeping her carefree smile all the while.
" Sorry, I meant Genesis. I'm stumbling over my words here, but I'm sure you understand my interest to be careful of my company if I'm to avoid being swayed by the evils of this world and all that. "
She played it off as an innocent mistake for the two names sounding alike, but she was still watching for any rise out of the mention of that first name. Beyond that, repeating back part of his own words was just to show him that she was still listening to his spiel, though her sporty tone may have inadvertently come off as sarcastic in hindsight.
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Post by Raven8 on Apr 13, 2022 19:02:23 GMT -8
More than Faith's words, Tuttle's intense focus moves to the cane that he carries, the cane that Faith's hand now grasps, the cane that now becomes far more visible as the hand of the young girl shakes it from the firm grasp of the dark man before her.
The white orb that she holds is not simply an orb. Instead, it is merely the back of something else entirely. Normally turned towards Tuttle and now staring back at Faith are the black, void eyes of a stylized, metal skull.
Knowing that she'd seen his relic, Tuttle glares directly into Faith's eyes before slowly and deliberately turning the cane back towards himself. Silence drops between the two, yet given time he finally speaks in an almost eerily slow, deliberate tone in contrast to his normal, bombastic pontification.
Tuttle: The one with much to hide will always be revealed. The farther their façade is from their true selves, the more frightening their fall from their ill-gotten reputation will be.
With one final pause, Tuttle takes his cane in hand and turns away from Faith entirely, leaving her no opportunity to follow.
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Post by Warrior on Apr 13, 2022 19:16:00 GMT -8
#s://i~imgur~com/stQVi94~png " ... "
The chirpy attitude she'd kept up sank to a neutral expression as she noticed what the ferrule of his cane actually was. He'd known she'd seen it, and she knew what it was, or rather what it generally represented. That fact wasn't hard to discover either, based on her reaction, even though she immediately tried to restore her own facade by smiling innocently as he went on.
There wasn't anything to reply with as he finished his statement and departed, Faith lingering on that for a moment before returning to the receptionist Navi that she was talking to earlier -- her social engineering back at work with her normal, friendly demeanor fully restored by this point.
" A charmer, that one. "
Her wily grin while she said it seemed to further annunciate the sarcasm in her voice.
" I'll let you get back to that paperwork that's still needing sorted out. My contact information is on those forms I submitted earlier -- please reach out once everything's in order, and thanks for your time! "
And with a farewell wave, she made her way back out of the lobby and onward to other errands.
(( Faith -> The Next Step (Element City) ))
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