The door made a "Shhhhhhh" noise.
Daryl: "Okay… weirrddddd… Someone's excited. I think." He muttered it half in mild shock, with his eyebrows raised and a calmer face.
As Daryl opened the cockpit door and looked down at his shoes, the first two people he didn't expect to see, let alone anyone from the crew, rushed ahead from the top corners of his eye, causing him to look up with a professional face, not his usual one.
Stanley Kleitos stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning back, his hip to the side, with a nonchalant, blank face and what seemed like a bit of facial hair growing on his moustache. It was his first official day with the crew, and he still wasn't a full member. Recruited by Tallurre.
Oswald Trifon stood behind him, a forehead's length above him, with a ticked-off face similar to his cousin, Nagito Navvarrox, and more angered to be there than not be there at all. Not a friendly face. He had only been in Broken Halo for eight days and had done three missions with Jordan Renner, who had recruited him.
Daryl: "Couldn't you have waited?" He took two steps toward Stanley, being a metre in front of him to the left. Despite some rough edges in his presentation, Stanley conveyed his own form of confidence.
Stanley: "Uh, n-no. This place gives the right vibes, man. I can tell someone's going to get their ass beaten here for being a retarded jerk, and I'll be there for it." He started half-frozen, not expecting Daryl to speak up, even if he was right in front of him. He tried acting more confident the further he spoke, lowering his pitch slightly.
Daryl: "C-" He was spoken over by Oswald.
Oswald: "Yeah." He glanced at the window, and a flood of emotions surged through the brown eyes for a few milliseconds, releasing the tension from his forehead for a brief second- something most would miss, but then he returned to his bothered state. Nostalgia for a bottle being drunk and disappearing just as fast. He wanted to say that out loud, even if the other two couldn't understand his complex, brief message.
Daryl stared at Oswald, then walked to the door and posed, like an amateur street poser, against the door with his back and right foot on it, arms crossed.
{Bfffff.}
Oswald: "No need for that brilliant pose, but yeah," he commented.
Daryl: "Mm-hmm." He didn't bother to look at him at all.
Something remained in Daryl's memory from their brief argument a few hours ago.
No one talked after that.
Stanley tried looking at both of them for five minutes, only getting returning glances before the rest arrived.
Later.
{Are we talking? Is somebody going to talk? Should I talk?}
Oblivion: "—eah, it's not looking good for them."He commented while looking back at Jordan, who was close behind him.
Oblivion Veryon was the first person to come out, having both of his hands stuffed inside his tight-knit blazer pockets.
Behind him was the African-looking Jordan Renner, scratching a little acne on his bottom left cheek, near his chin, with his hand roughly. He was chatting loudly with Oblivion; the conversation wasn't audible from the distance they started it from Stanley.
Daryl: "My two favourite gay boys." He quietly commented, much to Stanley's surprise.
{Uh. Does he actually mean that? Ugh. I just got disgusted. Like an "ick". If he were his normal self, he would've shouted it out loud. He's buttering them up quietly. Why? Ugh. To not let the tall black dude with noise genetics hear him? Nullaris hear most. I think. He's a supposed "genius" from what he told me. I do think he is, but that's not the part of him I mean. I mean that one.}
They continued their conversation. Openly, but quietly enough that, to a certain degree, it didn't bother anyone.
As they rambled on about some "incident" that happened online, the others came. One by one, except for Johnny and Lori, who came next to each other.
Sheng-Ri was yawning as she came in, looking like an insomniac.
Tono looked at the floor as he walked.
Stanley showed his unique, novice style of confidence, though his impression still had flaws. was frantically on her phone, double-typing with both of her hands, with a focused look.
Most had their own little tells that separated each person from the other.
Daryl: "Let's get out." He changed his demeanour as more people came prepared and ready when they entered the small hallway to the door, cockpit and tunnel through the seat area.
People nodded. The ones closer made their own facial gestures.
Biting their lips.
Poking their tongue in front of their lips and biting it.
Squinting.
Di Di Di DI DI DI DI.
[3953927]
As he jabbed a release code into the door hard, it flashed black and white for three seconds before something hissed.
Daryl: "Aight." He groaned as he twisted the hatch left to open it.
HSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
It only slightly pushed open, slowly, into a walkway to the main airport, but the scent spewed into the cabin, with a breath of less musky gasoline on one side, and squeaky-clean real estate on the other side.
The intoxicating and "full" smell of an urban world where most was covered in tech and concrete, rather than nature.
The smell of a freshly made house came from the SOLARR of this solar system, trying its best to improve its tourism. Nostalgic and comfortable, most companies relied on this to drag people to stay.
The deep, somewhat clean musk of car engine and smoothly filtered unleaded petrol came from factories and frequent use of old cars from the twenty-first century, because of budget decisions to sell these brands instead of more modern ones, which are dark matter vehicles that aren't shuttles.
The door swung open, and Daryl, followed by Stanley and Tono, walked up like a crowd of people trying to get out normally of the small transport tunnel.
The ground already had the faintest vibrations. Whether it be planes, cars or music, it still felt roughly alive and kicking.
Stanley looked out of the glass on the left side, since he was the closest to it, and his mouth slowly opened.
Aurora: "Oh golly." She commented as she looked on the left side too, seeing the concrete runway.
The others mostly kept looking straight, except for Chidieberre, who looked left a lot as well.
Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap. Stap.
Clunk.Clunk.Clunk.Clunk.Clunk.Clunk.Clunk.Clunk.Clunk.Clunk.Clunk.Clunk.Clunk.
Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.
Everything's concrete. I already prefer this over SOLA FRECHIA by a long shot. I don't like wooden stuff. This is much better. Wow, man. This place might even have gravitational manipulation; there's something above us at this moment. A big city? A city above a city, except… I swear I think it's upside down. How did we squeeze through THAT? I didn't even remember seeing it, even with my horrid senses.}
As he walked with his quiet, formal group, his attention was on a shadow remaining high in the sky in the dark cloudiness of Fierfam-D. A silhouette of sharp points, the tips of skyscrapers kilometres high. What were they on at this very moment?
With all the stomps, they finally arrived at the end of the tunnel. And out was the clean-cut, shopping centre-sized airport.
The signs pointing to each terminal go on and on each side on the roof; the bright white lights make sure people don't sleep; the floor was thin grey carpet around the seats near each terminal, and behind that was a white Terrazzo tile path that stretched to all shops and businesses down left and right. It seemed to be that the airport was a giant line.
Near the left side was the security check, a long line with detachable black plastic rails that can easily be taken apart, stretched far, and appeared to be busy.
As they walked up the terminal ramp of carpet, Stanley looked up loosely and saw a sign:
[Private Shuttle Terminal 37]
And around he looked; he saw all the normal things that airports have.
Seats, only a few because of the private shuttle space.
A flight attendant waiting at a desk at the end of a ramp, smiling uncannily.
The airport ambience of chatter, steps, and faint noise from outside.
Midnight aesthetic, as most aeroplane/shuttle trips require most to either be early or arrive late.
Flight attendant: "Hi! Broken Halo, represented by Mr Turner, correct?" She spoke in a well-mannered way; faint traces of Old English remained in her accent, matching her blonde short hair.
Magnus: "Correct." He smiled.
The two rambled on in conversation, then Magnus took out what seemed to be a wallet and gave it to the clerk to review.
After a few well-mannered glances, she put it in a built-in scanner in the desk and gave it right back after a beep came through.
Flight Attendant: "Well, good luck on your next business!" She said to him as he walked off, followed by Tono, Daryl and Tallurre. Stanley moved closer to the back and stayed somewhat around Johnny and Lori as they walked in a bundle of people, not in a straight line of people.
He was looking around, admiring the airport casually and sheepishly.
The others were having their own talk with Magnus.
Tono: "-EH, Sir, what did you actually show to the lady?" He said fondly and curiously.
Magnus turned to look at him briefly, a bit surprised, but still took out his wallet and handed him a card while they walked to the security checks for PFH (People For Hire)
"Just read it."
He said proudly.
Tono took the card casually, with Daryl and Tallurre looking back and forth at where they were walking to see Tono's reaction to Broken Halo's Profile Card. Different to a Reputational Profile Card.
His eyes read the title on the mint green plastic card and understood the importance of this single card.
He skimmed through the words and saw every full member and trial member recorded on it, the dates when they came, their appearance and the whole group's main centre of focus.
His eyebrows were slightly raised with each sentence he looked at.
Tono: "Wow… I'm not sure what I'm looking at, but it seems important. Sir."
Tallurre: "It's pretty important. It would be unprofessional if Magnus lost it."
Tallurre went next to him, causing Tono to look at him in a quick jolt as he put his hand on his right shoulder.
Tono took it off gently.
Tallurre: "Mm."
He moved on to a different conversation in the further middle group after seeing the newbie's reaction.
He saw Tono's reaction and made sure to not bother him after that. He had some tells in his body language that made him look confused about Tallurre's actions.
{Where am I, Lord? This place is so nice-I'll be honest there, but I-I really need to start kicking my brain into the thought process that these people are probably nice to me because I'm a colleague. And I'm new here. I'm thinking Daryl might be two-faced and more like that; like, how can someone be so happy? You have to be self-absorbed if you're expressing yourself so carelessly without thinking about how others think about you? Oh shit, now he's looking back at me. Did I stare at him for too long?}
Daryl: "…"
He could see, near the back, the head and the left side of Stanley unblocked by his people staring into his forehead. He couldn't really think of anything to say. He felt like he didn't have an answer for this one except silence.
What was Stanley doing?
He turned his head back forward. Past the security checkers was the entry to the airport. Bright, colourful gradients were fighting against each other.
He sped up his pace and arrived at the same pace as Tono and Magnus. On the right were the security checkers, and everyone was trying to go to the entrance of the plastic DIY rail guards.
He squinted.
He saw plenty of signs and interesting buildings already close to the vicinity of the airport. The main standout was taxis, with brands on them. Incredible amounts of taxis seemed to be coming and going, like 1 AM was peak hour for tourism. Using his eyes, the ones closest to the door had few brands stacked on top of one another, competing for vehicle space.
[New N3on] [BIG DEAL ENTERPRISES] [MARK'S GROCER] [RADIANCE] [QWERTIE] [Todd's Plumbing] [BCM AUTO] [TA ELECTRICAL] [F-773] [3VILJORDAN] [Lovely Cakes] [Common Banking] [Desire Matcha] [24-7 massage] [Kim's Doughnuts] [Rosie] [Dymano]
These were the closest he could read while simultaneously walking and peering into tinted glass.
Magnus: "Daryl."
"Uh, yeah?" He replied.
"What are you even looking at? What are you even looking at? Walk through the start of the line already."
Magnus called to him.
Daryl turned back to the group, arguing, egging him on with comments and annoyed expressions. How long was he holding up the line for?
Oswald: "MOVE, CUNT."
Oblivion: "Daryl, you listening?"
Tallurre: "Chop chop."
Tono: "farking hell."
The people closest to the front egged him on with semi-aggressive words. He could tell there was no hostility after thinking about it.
The corners of his mouth lifted.
Then he walked in without saying anything.