trans_9 | Cascade [Open party time!]

Billy had just launched another portal in that maze of mazes, exhaustion setting in. Surely this time he would land on another moving platform of death?

Nope, just the exterior of the finished bathhouses. All polished, systems running, and just about ready to open! Given how sore and exhausted he was, that sounded like an excellent idea at the moment.

With a quick message to the rest of the crew, he set out the 'Open' sign for the first time and took advantage of his owner status---the prime waterfall spot could be his!

((ooc: The bathhouses are now open! Feel free to mingle around, relax, and have a party. Or cause trouble, but that might invite more trouble. Just start a subthread with your character's location and have fun. For reference there are individual showers in front, followed by hot tubs centrally located, saunas further back, and private baths along the side. The showers, tubs, and saunas have smaller sex-segregated units along with a central group unit that's larger.))

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Billy leaned up on his elbows, pleased to have her approval at least. "Is there anything I can do to repay you for this? You worked harder than almost anyone."

Celena gave Billy a warm smile, "I was but happy to help, I would not say no to a small favour in the future but you needn't do anything," she replied happily enough as she trailed a claw through the water, running her gaze around the hot-tub, it was one of the larger than standard ones. There would be room enough for her within it, and room to spare.

"Would you mind if I joined you? Though I can easily enough seek out one of the other rooms if you'd rather your peace for now,"

That was fine! Billy left a mental note to be the first to offer if Celena required help later. It would be his pleasure to do so.

"Not at all," he answered quickly, waving her in. "Let me know if you need the jets adjusted or turned off. They shouldn't affect you too much, but I have some degree of control over them."

He leaned back as she started to maneuver her way in. "Have I missed anything important?"

Celena gave a nod as she stepped right up to the edge before slowly and gracefully sliding herself into the water at the other end from Billy, submerging her form in the warmth of the water, the majority of her neck sticking out from the water as she did so. The water wasn't bad at all, and she didn't mind the feel of the of the jets against her side.

"The water is quite nice indeed, the jets are fine as they are, they aren't a bother," she replied with smile to him as she settled herself. Tilting head as she thought briefly.

"The most recent item of import I believe was been the pod-release of new crew members, though I believe I may have seen you briefly amongst the crowd there,"

Billy watched her reaction as closely as he could without the glasses, but she seemed pleased. That was good.

"I was there for...most of them, I believe," he recalled. "I was taken to avia testing partway through, and I'm hearing that the department was handled well. How long has it been?"

Billy curled comfortably against his wall, that contemplative look almost permanent on his face.

Celena relaxed a moment in the water, curling her tail about herself after letting the tip trail the surface of the water. Nodding with a soft smile Billy spoke.

"Indeed? I hope the testing was not too, strenuous?" She asked with some measure of concern, she hadn't seen or been forced to participate in such testing herself, though she had heard of it around. "It has not been a great amount of time, a few days past a week if I'm not mistaken,"

Billy pushed a wet hand through his hair, making a soft noise of frustration. That was longer than he'd anticipated. He'd have to catch up later on.

"I've been awake for what feels like three days, and the puzzles require physical activity to complete," he informed her. As he spoke, he shifted back into the waterfall to attempt to relieve the pressure on his back. "The taunting doesn't help, and it seems designed to push you to your limit."

He survived, and it felt good. At least there was that.

Celena drew a wing out in the water picking at a loose scale on the wing arm as she watched him. The scale dealt with she tilted her head in interest and concern as to his ordeals.

"Three days straight, hmm perhaps there were stages of rest during the test cycle to account for the excess days.." She gave a thoughtful look, "The tests sound quite strenuous indeed, added with the taunting then they sound quite thorough to the degree of pushing limits..if in an unorthodox approach,"

She was curious though, "What manner of puzzles required solving? If you can recall as much,"

Had he been repodded for a time? No, he would've popped again. And that was an extraordinarily messy and memorable process. His mind was being tampered with again, perhaps.

"It's the way GLaDOS likes it," he snorted, slumping against his wall in complete exhaustion. That constant level of exertion took a lot out a person.

"The objective is to use a handheld portal device to navigate various chambers. Your portal device works by shooting two shots of portal energy at wall surfaces. When you enter one portal, you exit at the site of the other. You then use that to reach impossibly high pillars, direct energy beams to receptors rooms away, and sometimes escape death traps. The levels went on and on without pause," he whispered tiredly.

No continues either. He never did find out what would happen if he'd failed in the most dangerous places.

Celena nodded softly, she could somewhat understand the ire many seemed to hold towards the construct, "So it would indeed seem," she replied softly.

His description of the puzzles took her interest near immediately, especially the mention of the hand-held Portal device, "Were it not so forced upon crewmembers in such a manner it would be quite interesting to observe these puzzles...the portal device you speak of sounds quite the curious and possibly useful device," She would half ponder aloud.

"Indeed, a project of mine has been to look into constructing a similar method of transport as these portals..perhaps not as portable as the one you speak of however, but enough to be of use should it succeed,"

Billy dipped his head, making a quiet confession. "I thought that at first too. I normally enjoy that, but...it was difficult this time. I've lost so many friends that I wondered if it was my turn to go. But here I am."

The portal project sounded familiar and useful! "We'll help you with that. It's been notoriously difficult to get a power source in place, but we've sketched out a few concepts. Should I stop by to see yours later?"

Celena gave a soft smile at his quiet confession, dipping her head gently, "Here you are indeed, and lucky we are to still have you," She replied warmly.

"I would welcome the help. As to the power source, Tenaya was working on one of a sort for me, I've not had a chance to check with her or it as yet however. I would be happy to have you by if you wished to view my progress and plans so far,"

Cascade [Open party time!]

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