Owner	Pose
Hela	The Asgardian embassy is open for business as always. It's had quite a lot of business lately, what with Hela newly active. They are even bringing in some more staff, or at least cancelling some holidays. The goddess of death is therefore as popular as ever around here. The staff are all Midgardians pretty much, the guard on the gate lets the occasional visitor past though, assuming Temple hasn't brought a mob with him. And inside is a pristine reception area.
Temple Fugate	Temple Fugate, or The Clock King as he was more commonly called these days had a secret, he feared death. When he reached his 50th birthday while still locked up behind bars, a sort of "existential crisis" suddenly struck him. He realized that his time was almost up and, at most, he had another 40 years until the Reaper came calling. This brought a long thought buried thought to his mind, what will happen once "his time runs out". The last time he had this thought was when his beloved sister passed on while he was in jail, leaving Fugate locked up alone and without a family. However, this time, his fear of death was not so easily buried, in fact, it grew worse every day. Memories of attending sermons at his Father's church often sprang up, and their lessons about a place of fire and brimstone for sinners when they died, something Clock King definitely was. Even worse was the possibility of nothing at all, nothing but a timeless void one could never return to. This possibility in particular frightened the time obsessed criminal. He had heard through the grape vine that Riddler had managed to strike some sort of deal with the goddess Hela, the Norse goddess of the Dead. He hadn't gotten around to learning what that deal was, but now that he learned that a literal Death Goddess was on Earth, or "Midgard" as they called it, a desperate", if not foolish plan formed in his head. Perhaps he could strike some sort of deal with Hela too, at least one that could hopefully make the possibility of what waited for him after death less frightful. Fugate was surprised about how easy it was to get into the Embassy, as if he weren't a wanted supervillain. As he approached the front desk desk, he paid no attention to the pristine Asgardian decor that surrounded him. Instead, he seemed much more focused on his pocket watch, which was currently ticking away the seconds. His face had the look of a sharp, no nonsense man who had no time for foolishness'. However, on the inside, he was a raging tornado of emotions. Once he approached the front desk, he closed his watch with a loud click, placed it back in his suit pocket and said in a stern, no-nonsense tone of voice, "I wish to meet with Hela, as soon as possible" His clock-face themed glasses seemed to glow in the light of the Embassy as he said this.
Hela	Might seem a bit odd to just ask for the local death goddess at reception, but now Hela is no longer confining herself to Niffleheim, thats almost how it works. She probably needs some priestesses or something. The receptionist merely nods. "We have a few quiet rooms where you can talk. She's quite interested in speaking to Midgardians lately. Try room fourteen, east wing up the stairs.". And he points to where it is. It's a huge building, many rooms, and while it's old it's been furnished with various Asgardian decorations and refurbished so it looks quite spectacular. The room in question, after he's plodded through most of the embassy, is a large and quiet room off to one side, the door left ajar - decorated as a drawing room, with tables and chairs scattered around. A painting depicting the symbol of Hela, two semicircles stuck together with a number of horizontal lines through it, hangs on one wall.
Temple Fugate	Clock King nodded sharply and with a grunt as he walked away from the desk and stomped up the stairs and towards where he was directed. It was quite a long walk to be honest, the dammed Embassy was bigger than he previously thought. However, it did give him time to admire the decorations of the Embassy. It almost brought wonder to the otherwise quite stoic Clock King, at least until he saw the Grandfather Clock. It appeared to be a rather old-fashioned, antique clock most likely owned by the previous owner. Normally, Clock King would love such a old timepiece, and he nearly did, but, as he looked at the face, he knew immediately something was wrong. He scowled as he rolled up his sleeve, revealing seven pocket watches. Clock King hums in annoyance and stamps his feet to get the attention of a nearby Embassy worker. Once he does, Fugate humphs in annoyance and says, "That Grandfather Clock is 5 seconds too slow! I would expect better standards from a Embassy that represents Gods!" He then stomps off before the Embassy employee could respond. Meanwhile, Fugate calms himself down as he enters the room he was directed to. As he sits down on a wooden mahogany chair, he sees the painting of Hela, and suddenly wonders if this was a smart idea. What if this goddess kills him just for wasting her time, or worse, what if she doesn't answer him at all, and tosses him back to the streets. Fugate, his nerves getting to him, not only rolls up his sleeves to look at his wrist watches, but pulls out his pocket watch as well. It was a nervous tick he had developed over the years, one that he could not control.
Hela	Hela starting to get some traction, especially after the Riddler meeting. He gets mentioned a lot! Still, she can meet people personally still at the moment, especially the interesting ones. And this guy feels interesting. She appears by the painting, all seven feet of her, her headdress filling that end of the room with darkness. It's 'just' a projection, but she can do quite a lot even when she's not wholly here. "Greetings, Midgardian." she says, slowly walking over to where he sits, looking at his watches - not a habit she's seen before. "Since my arrival a number of you seem to have a fascination with the Asgardian goddess of death. And for now at least I am happy to talk to you... I have ignored this realm for too long." she admits. "So. What do you seek from Hela?" she asks.
Temple Fugate	Temple seemingly jumps when he hears Hela's voice, he was obviously caught by surprise by Hela's arrival. As she starts to approach, Temple cannot help but stare at the woman who towered over his 5ft 10 in frame. He knew that he made the wrong move or said the wrong thing, the consequences could be severe, either physically, mentally, or for his soul. He had to word his next words carefully. Once Hela got close enough, Fugate, slowly and deliberately got off from his chair, took his brown bowler hat off, revealing his balding, white hair, and bowed politely. He then said in seemingly calm voice, "Greetings Your Highness. My name is Temple Fugate." If Hela were observant enough, she could easily detect the nervous edge that came out of his words. As Fugate straightened himself out from this bow, he did not put his hat back on, but clutched it to his chest, holding it tightly with both hands. He then cleared his throat and said, "I-I Heard about your meeting with The Riddler and how you made a deal with him. I don't know what deal you exactly made, but I was hoping to make a deal myself. I-f you'll allow me."
Hela	Hela never knows what she's going to get from Midgardians. Respect, cynicism, something in between. This one is the most respectful yet. She smiles, though when Death smiles it's not particularly warm. But this is perhaps the best one yet. He probably wants something. "Edward Nygma.". She nods. "We met. Some business was conducted between us - we are both happy with the end result, I think. And, of course, human. We can at least discuss your... worries.". Hela is no Amora, but even she can see the guy is terrified of something. "I am not in this realm to harm its residents.." she assures him. "Though some feel the presence of Death more than others, it seems you are on the more sensitive side. I collect few mortal souls." she reassures, not even giving him the 'death is misunderstood' spiel. She pauses near ish to him, slightly further than a normal conversational distance, though her coldness can still be felt even from there. "What manner of bargain are you seeking?".
Temple Fugate	Clock King nods, seemingly calming down a bit, though the cold smile he receives chills him to the bone. He slightly shivers from the cold, but manages to clear his throat and said, "I am a man who realizes the importance of time. Throughout my entire life, time has always been a fixation of mine. This fixation directs every action I do, and I always, always, keep to a schedule-" At this part, a look of regret, almost remorse flows through Fugate's face, before suddenly being shaken off. He then clears his throat again and says, "For the longest time, I thought I had every single aspect of my life under a strict, unbreakable, schedule, but there is one thing I cannot control, death itself." "It has always lingered in the back of my head, but now that I have reached my middle age, I can almost feel it's presence and here it's clock ticking, ticking, ticking, clock just waiting for my time to be up, and I fear what waits for me on the other side." Temple's face turns into a clear grimace as images of fire and brimstone, or a timeless, cold void fill his head. He then looks up at Hela imploringly, getting down on his knees before saying, "I want to be rid of this fear and be assured that death won't be as horrible as I think it will be, and to avoid the torment of a horrible afterlife."
Hela	"I see. The weight of mortality bears down upon you.". Hela sighs. Maybe he DOES need the speech. "Death is misunderstood. She brings peace, she relieves pain, she anaesthetises worries. In fact, one of the most tortuous curses within my power to inflict is to withhold my gift from those who need it. Death is a relief, to those ready for it. I have brought that relief to many - even a few mortals here in Midgard, though not in any numbers for hundreds of years.". "You may order your life as you see fit, but death is the curse of all mortals. And most immortals as well.". Hela seems a bit amused by that, her job is mainly to collect immortal souls after all! "As for the afterlife, I can speak with authority only on the subject of the Asgardian afterlife, where souls that rightfully belong to me are destined.". She wrinkles her nose at the thought of her realm being a horrible place, which isn't how she thinks of it at all. "But Helheim is not primarily a place of torture. The very wicked are punished, yes, but most simply exist in peace in my realm with me as their Queen, and await the end of all things. To some it is a paradise. It depends on their deeds, and the offerings made to me.". She spreads her arms a bit, the room going darker as she does so. "Your soul does not currently belong to me however. And I cannot speak for Pluto, or Lucifer, or any other entities of death and their own realms.".
Temple Fugate	Temple Fugate listen to Hel's speech surprisingly well, not interrupting at all, not even to check the time. He doesn't say anything when Hela brings up his fixation on time, that is how into the speech he is. However, when Helheim is brought up, a new, thoughtful expression enters his face. This place may not be the Shining Gates of Paradise which has probably been forever closed to him, but it sure beat what could possibly await him, Hell or Void. Fugate, perhaps in a hint of bravery, suddenly clears his throat and says, "I-I, would like to pledge my soul to you. A peaceful afterlife beats an eternity of torment." As he says this, Temple takes off his glasses, and the look of his eyes do not show any deception, he seems to actually mean it.
Hela	"There is peace aplenty for those who do not defy my rule in the realm of mists, and have not debased their soul with wickedness.". Hela smiles a little once more at his pledge, and nods. "I will be happy to bring you peace and take you to my realm, when the fates decree. Unless through some deed you find yourself worthy of Valhalla, for Odin reserves those souls for himself.". Maybe she sugarcoats it a little bit, but Helheim isn't Hell at least. "It is not your time to be taken to my realm, however.". Hela leans forward a little bit, to look him over that much more closely, especially now his glasses are off. "You are an unhappy soul." she decides. "We will meet again at least once, as the Norns decide. At a time unknown even to me. For now... perhaps you should make the most of what life remains.". Probably about the nicest thing she can say really, though being patient, there's no rush in her quest for souls.
Temple Fugate	Temple nods, a smile surprisingly forming on his face as he hears Hela accept his pledge. It felt like a huge weight had just lifted from his shoulders, He no longer had nothing to fear from death, at least if he died from old age or in his sleep. His happiness slightly faltered when she brought up his "unhappy soul", but he quickly pushed it to the back of his mind, like always. He then gets up, moves to shake his new "patron's" hand, but quickly dismisses that notion. He then says, "Thank you, thank you, Your Highness! I will make sure to honor my pledge, you can count on that. If you need me to do anything, just contact me, and I will."
Hela	Hela nods, and smiles. She's always happy about new souls coming to Niffleheim. And in this case, she even seems to have cured him of his worries, too. "I am used to people being afraid of me. I am glad to have lightened your soul a little." she admits. She's just a projection, so for once she doesn't back away when someone goes to touch her, though even putting a hand through that wouldn't feel very nice. Nodding at him, she adds, "Make sure Hela always has a place in your heart, or your pledge will become meaningless. Only mortals who seek me out come to my realm in the modern age. If I have need of a Midgardian I shall count you among my followers.".