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[oohforeshadowing]

Let me get back to you, darling.

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[oohforeshadowing]

Commiserations on what I have no doubt was an appalling childhood.

[hauntedcalamari]

Bullshit from beginning to abrupt end, yup. I've thought about trying to reclaim the Horror stuff, but I decided it's much funnier to have creepy destructive powers and a name that sounds like a middle aged banker's.

[oohforeshadowing]

'Creepy destructive powers.'

Do tell.

[hauntedcalamari]

[This is one thing Ben has no objections to being open about. And he's happy enough that his current temp wants to chat that he doesn't mind doing a lot of the talking. Not fair to expect people to open up right away, after all.

He positions his communicator for a clear view of one hand and carefully snakes a tentacle out from his sleeve.]

Past about this length they have weird grasping teeth and fun stuff going on with claws and beaks, depending on who you call up.

[oohforeshadowing]

'Who'. Interesting. So, is this a hive mind situation, some kind of summoning arrangement...?

[hauntedcalamari]

Details are unclear because they don't exactly talk and I'm the only person I know so far with an interdimensional tentacle surprise, so far. It's hard to compare notes. I think it's one thing with a lot of fairly independent arms and maybe more than one head, and I've read enough about cephalopods that that kind of tracks. But I'm more like their door over to this side.

[Tentacle chat is a fun, breezy icebreaker!]

[oohforeshadowing]

I see. Well, it's useful when you've got more groceries than bags, I suppose.

[A slim green tentacle appears in frame, and waves at Ben.]

[hauntedcalamari]

And with high shelves!

[He's intrigued, and because Ben has never concealed an emotion in his life, that is extremely clear.]

Cool trick. Yours have teeth, too?

[Intrigued but not quite excited, since he's aware of plenty of powers that could suggest tentacles, but pretty much just him that actually has the things.]

[oohforeshadowing]

[DT glances at the tentacle. It acquires a mouth and sticks its tongue out at Ben.]

...They could.

[hauntedcalamari]

[Ben laughs, easy and delighted. He missed out on a lot of being a kid, for a lot of reasons. Why fight immaturity now.]

Awesome.

[oohforeshadowing]

It is, and I am.

[The tentacle retreats and they transform fully into Klaus Hargreeves.]

Thank you for noticing.

[hauntedcalamari]

Aaaaaand a little disquieting.

[More because of the reminder that Klaus has been here and should be now and continues not to show up than anything else.]

[oohforeshadowing]

Even better.

[They change into Ben, then back into themselves.]

So what now, warden?

[hauntedcalamari]

Yeah, that doesn't bother me at all. Anyway, now we've made contact and you know I'm good for it if you need someone to call the admiral about a cabin problem or whatever, and we've met so it's not super weird if we get one of those floods this month. Everything besides that is up to you.

[oohforeshadowing]

So if I simply hang up on you now and choose not to reach out for the next month...?

[hauntedcalamari]

I'd respect that. You didn't ask for this. That said, doing stuff is almost always more fun than not doing stuff. And if you have any mayhem planned I'd be at least one of the people intervening.

[oohforeshadowing]

I may very well be doing plentiful 'stuff' and simply not involving you, darling.

[hauntedcalamari]

Not disrespecting your hustle.

[Obviously there's not much you can do to stop a shapeshifter from doing mischief.]

And, like, on one level, good for you, hope it's productive. You don't really seem like the murder spree or major sabotage type. But if you decided to change that up.

[oohforeshadowing]

I am absolutely the major sabotage type, but, not here. What's the sense of scuppering the only ship we've got?

[hauntedcalamari]

The vibe I'm getting is it'd be less about explosions than the usual fare around here, too.

[Why blow stuff up when you could just walk in and push all the wrong buttons as the guy in charge. It's possible Ben is too comfortable planning uses for absurd super powers.]

[oohforeshadowing]

Exactly. I'm about the performance, darling, not the pyrotechnics.

[hauntedcalamari]

You have feelings about karaoke?

[oohforeshadowing]

That was definitely a word you just said.

[hauntedcalamari]

Very important earth tradition. You play the instrumental tracks for a popular song and do your own vocals over it. You can embarrass your friends and work out your own issues in public!

[oohforeshadowing]

That sounds terrible to do but enjoyable to watch, and I don't say that often.