HALO 183: The Not Remotely Gritty Reboot

[Hattish Thing]

HALO Laboratories

From beneath his helmet, the vigilante grimaces, armored fists clenching in a fairly straightforward display of frustration. Rather than lose his cool, however, the figure remains still, though he makes a point of glaring down towards the hand hastily stuffed into Nigel's purse.

With a sigh, he continues, tapping at his wrist-computer. A second later, footage of Harley Zorzo performing any number of heinous crimes in gruesome detail is displayed.

[Reinholdt]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

Rein laughs a little as well at Delv's prudence. "It's not always a bad thing," He points out. "But I'll keep that in mind."

Stepping over to the liquor cabinet, Reinholdt opens it up and starts digging through it. "Have a seat. I admit, the excuse was weak, but I'd have said anything if it kept two powerful mages from ripping a hole in our underwater base." He finds some glasses and pulls them out. "And you didn't seem too interested yesterday in a tour. So you get to see my office instead. I wasn't lying about the questions I have for you though. Starting with what you would like to drink. Brandy? Whiskey? Vodka? Scotch? What's your preference?"

[5a Violista]

[Felandria's Room]

Oh. Poor Nigel. He went through all that work to make it taste good when you drink it, and Juliana decided to treat it like salsa. "Oh. Sorry," she says. "I was getting mixed signals, what with the nachos and all."

Not really, though. She knew you were supposed to drink it. She just didn't feel like having it plain. At least, mixing it with nachos helps mask the 'magic' flavor.

In fact! Waking up Felandria was not Juliet's plan. She didn't even consider it. So, that's why she says, "Oh, you know me too well. Am I really that obvious?" At this point, she's running out of potion but keeps on eating the nachos anyway. "I bet she'll be a lot more fun awake." Jules shifts her position again, so now she's sitting up. "So you're saying all you have to do is shut off your brain for a bit and that might help stop it?" she asks.

[UncleWolf]

Spooky Tour

Kin happily explains what the TV is, what it's used for, and how it can be a bunch of fun to just gather with friends and watch some fun content of some sort!

"My room," she replies, waving a hand in a general direction. "Is kinda off that way with the other rooms. It's nothing super fancy. Some people have made really crazy rooms. Like, replacing it entirely with just a forest clearing or a room they have in a castle elsewhere or something.
I just have the basics. Bed. Desk. Minifridge." Kin shrugs slightly, Anja's negligible weight not slowing her stride in the slightest. "Yeah, I could take you to one of the bosses. Iunno whoever would be around first, either Fel or Rein. But we can go looking for one.
I genuinely don't remember the sign up process. I signed up in a different era, and stuff's likely changed. So you could get a title! Could be fun!

Though I don't know that there's any sort of uniform, sadly."

Spooky Tour

"Well, that just means you'll have to come up with a fancy schmancy uniform for me to wear!" The ghost insists with a grin before looking thoughtful. "If you don't mind, I don't mind shacking up in your room. I used to have one that was far too fancy for me when I was living. All lacey and princessy and all too...too...pink for my tastes." She says with a sour look before sighing and propping herself up on top of Kin's head, weightless yet tangible. "Oh well. I don't mind signing on up though. Not sure what use a poltergeist princess would be, but I can promise to at least clean house?"

[Gullara]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

"Scotch eh? Fancy fancy. I wouldn't pass that up." Delv takes a seat and loops his arm over the back. "You don't know that getting me outta there will stop any hole ripping. I've only seen it a few times,. but those two have always been famously at each other's throats. Or infamously I guess."

[Reinholdt]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

"Scotch it is." Reinholdt pours a glass for Delv and a glass for himself. Heading back to the desk, he hands Delv his before sitting in the chair across from him and placing the bottle between them. "No. I suppose I don't. But not knowing anything certainly doesn't mean I shouldn't try. Besides, at that particular instance, they were fighting over you. Every man's dream, right?" Reinholdt laughs because he definitely wasn't envious of Delv being caught between their arguments.

[Gullara]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

"That is... definitely one way to look at it." Delv laughs. He eyeballs his whiskey before taking a sip. Mm, that's good. "I'm not sure if fighting over whether or not he get set adrift at sea is the kind of thing a man wants women fighting over him about."

[Lord Magtok]

Felandria seems very pleased by this news.

Glad to have you, Magtok, even in a satellite advisory capacity.

I’m just happy to have the support of my friends.

Plus, I can give you a keycard, lets you come and go when you please, even if it’s to raid the kitchen for a midnight snack.

"I've got an entire cafeteria at home to raid, but I'll keep that in mind," Magtok nods, wondering just how much he could do with a keycard like that. I suppose if Rein ever went psychotic (which is incredibly unlikely but always possible), we could just open his bedroom door, throw a grenade in, and walk away. Or search his quarters for clues and weaknesses to whatever dastardly disaster he's struck the entire Nexus with. Probably that second one; I don't see him hanging around HALO and lazing in a bed, waiting to be assassinated. Still, you never know what tomorrow will bring, so having that keycard could really help a lot, depending on what goes wrong next in our life. There might be something worth looking at in the labs too, provided he can find a way there without Nigel or Reinholdt looking over his shoulder the whole time. He has his own labs, but the MagCave still has a mild haywire killer robot infestation, and being able to work without looking over your shoulder every time something beeps or boops is essential to doing proper science.

"So is that all? You won, so can I get going and leave you to explain to Reinholdt that you've added me to the member list?" Magtok's sure as heck not going to try to explain this to anyone. He tried to not be a member, he did. This is all on the giantess's head now.

[Felandria]

"I've got an entire cafeteria at home to raid, but I'll keep that in mind," Magtok nods, wondering just how much he could do with a keycard like that. I suppose if Rein ever went psychotic (which is incredibly unlikely but always possible), we could just open his bedroom door, throw a grenade in, and walk away. Or search his quarters for clues and weaknesses to whatever dastardly disaster he's struck the entire Nexus with. Probably that second one; I don't see him hanging around HALO and lazing in a bed, waiting to be assassinated. Still, you never know what tomorrow will bring, so having that keycard could really help a lot, depending on what goes wrong next in our life. There might be something worth looking at in the labs too, provided he can find a way there without Nigel or Reinholdt looking over his shoulder the whole time. He has his own labs, but the MagCave still has a mild haywire killer robot infestation, and being able to work without looking over your shoulder every time something beeps or boops is essential to doing proper science.

"So is that all? You won, so can I get going and leave you to explain to Reinholdt that you've added me to the member list?" Magtok's sure as heck not going to try to explain this to anyone. He tried to not be a member, he did. This is all on the giantess's head now.

Well, I would have hoped you would stay for board game night, but if you have to get going, I’d understand.

Felandria finishes her sandwich.

There’s gonna be Chex Mix!

[Reinholdt]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

"No. I suppose not." Reinholdt grows quiet a bit for bit, mulling in thought and nursing his drink, in between extended sips of his own. "By the way, when did you know? You know... That you wanted a child."

[Gullara]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

Vraz raises his eyebrows. "Tough question. Honestly it was Korrina's idea. We'd being going steady for a year or something when she came outta nowhere sayin', 'I wanna have your babies.' What man could resist that?" He laughs loudly. "So the idea got sprung on me. Didn't come to it myself. I dunno if I'da thought about it, but when it was her askin' the lifestyle has a lot of appeal."

[Lord Magtok]

Well, I would have hoped you would stay for board game night, but if you have to get going, I’d understand.

Felandria finishes her sandwich.

There’s gonna be Chex Mix!

Magtok runs off the moment Fel says she’d understand and he doesn’t look back. Just zoom! Right out of the base, the second Felandria says it's okay. Chex Mix might've stopped some lesser cyborg, but not our Maggy. Nope, he's gone. Outta here. AWOL. Absent. Used the Joestar Secret Technique. He made like an exorcist and got the hell out of here.

[Reinholdt]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

Reinholdt smirks a bit. "No straight man, that's for sure."

The answer wasn't what he expected though. Or perhaps wasn't what he hoped for rather. Korrina decided more than Delv and Delv agreed. And there was a long term relationship behind it. Rein's admittedly a little surprised a relationship in the Nexus can last that long. He ponders for a good long time about a follow up question, knocking back the rest of his glass and pouring himself another. Bit early in the morning, but maybe he doesn't have plans for the day.

"Well I wish you the both the best of luck with it."

He failed to come up with any good follow up questions. And here he pretended to have a lot. Better ask the goblin something to buy some time.

"Do you think you're going to marry her before the baby arrives?"

[Gullara]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

Delv smirks, as if at some private joke. He shakes his head. "Maybe. Korrina doesn't care about the formality, so we'll see." He grabs the bottle after Rein's done with it and gets himself a refill as well. He looks at Rein for a bit longer, like he's trying to figure something out. "What's the interest anyway? Thinking about putting a bun in some lady friend's oven?"

[Reinholdt]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

"Hmm?" Reinholdt pauses and thinks about it for a while before deciding his answer. "I suppose it'd have to be because of a friend I have. She had three kids recently, on top of the already perfect little angel that's a bit older. I guess... seeing them just got me thinking you know? I've had kids, but circumstances always prevented me from enjoying the best parts with them. It'd be nice to just start from the beginning and grow up with them, you know?"

He laughs mirthlessly. "But maybe it's not for me. Half those circumstances were my fault. And it's not like I have anyone in mind to share that joy with. I... guess adoption? I dunno. Wanted to hear your perspective I suppose." Rein shrugs and takes another sip.

[Morty]

[Laboratories]

Dorota has been hard at work since signing up with HALO, blazing through the laboratories like a very meticulous hurricane of organization and inventory. She has been rearranging parts of it to suit her own workflow and bringing in new or replacement equipment. Unfortunately she's been unable to bring Sizewell in to help, since he's needed in Erin's Emporium.

[Gullara]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

"Hrm, well the way I see it, if you want something you oughta do it. No use sitting around and dwellin' on 'what ifs', ya know?" Delv replies.

[Reinholdt]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

"Perhaps," Rein says. There's truth to what Delv says. But at the same time, we're talking about another person and maybe it should be considered carefully. Especially given how much Reinholdt's failed at life in general.

"I do tend to overthink things." He concedes openly with a smile, without straight agreeing with Delv either. "Maybe if I find someone interested in that sort of thing."

Reinholdt raises his glass towards the goblin to clink together should he follow in the toast. "To you. May you and Korrina prove to be the best parents."

[Gullara]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

Delv grins and clinks his glass. "I'm just hoping to be one step above a hot mess." He sets his glass down, nearly empty now. "I'd love to have another of these, but if I drink too much Korrina can and will skin me alive."

[Reinholdt]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

"Oh? She doesn't like you drinking?" Reinholdt asks, having no doubt what Delv says is true. All the same, Reinholdt at least pours himself a third glass.

[Gullara]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

"Nah, that ain't a problem. Not normally. But today she expects me to perform." He gives a crass wink in case Rein isn't keeping up.

[Reinholdt]

[More Fourth Tower Settling]

Reinholdt raises an eyebrow. "... Yes. I've remarkably unlocked the secrets to crafting a baby." Rein just finds it better done intoxicated. Well, everything was better done intoxicated. What did Korrina see in this goblin? Perhaps his single-minded, straightforward nature. That's often admirable. Right?

"So, where did the two of you meet?"

[Shadowcaller]

Nigel's Research

Nigel reads through his results a few times, chewing on a pencil and draining a few cups of decaf. Eventually, he starts to write a few ideas down, quick sketches of possible ways to cancel out the effects of the curse. He reaches the end of what he can get from theory eventually, digging back through his samples to bring up some of Rein's blood along with the samples Rein himself collected. He constructs (after much swearing and sticky tape) a pair of rings of paper, each inscribed with a circle of ink that's intersected with various runes set up along the circumference, locations painstakingly measured out with a protractor and ruler. He sets a pair of samples (Rein's and the vampire's) next to each other, looping one ring over them and very carefully setting the other ring in the air above them, where (after a false start) it hovers, linked to its partner below. The rings will slowly attempt to push the two sets of particles together, holding them apart from their original sample and into the other, where they can hopefully begin to cancel each other out.

Then he swears, grabbing a pair of reading glasses out of his bag and hastily drawing a complicated rune over the lens so he can at least look at what's happening. Nice test idiot! Forgot to figure out how to observe it before hand! Looking through the rune will allow him to get a sense of the flow of the particles as well as their overall presence in the sample. In big dumb colours that make him feel like he's a 14 year old doing science in high school and fudging most of his results, but enough for a quick sketch of the situation.

Nigel's Research

What Nigel sees is unusual. The concept motes (he might come up with a better name for them) are seemingly out of sync as they seem to be distrupting each other's patterns. The message they're emitting is now completely incomprehensible and just results in nonsense.
There's no telling how long this chaotic state will last until they reach some kind of equilibrium but an infected invidual might be free from at least the symptoms of the "disease" during that time.

[5a Violista]

[Lab => Hallway => Offices]

Carlie, a bunnygirl, has no idea where Rein's office is.

She's assuming it's near Felandria's office, which is a place that she does know where it is...even though, supposedly, she's never been here before.

After a wrong turn in the hallway, she eventually gets there, and starts checking out the nearby rooms.

[Reinholdt]

[Vet Visit]

Eventually Carlie will find a door with Reinholdt's name on the front. It doesn't say his office or anything, despite the plaque. Just 'Reinholdt'. Could be his office. His bedroom. His studio parlor.

Turns out it is his office.

She probably finds out by knocking and then entering when permitted, but she can barge in too if she wants to. Either way, Rein's scrambling to put a bottle of rum away in the bottom drawer of his desk, though in the latter case, she'll also catch him leaning back in his chair, feet on the desk. The place looks newly set up. Cozy. Nice rug, nice chairs, fancy desk, liquor cabinet, bookshelf, and even an antique looking record player, though it's actually one of those faux new ones that just look antique.

"Hello. Welcome to HALO?" Was she new? Rein must have missed one of the shuttle arrivals. "How may I help you?" A bunnygirl. Don't see many of those.

[5a Violista]

[Vet Visit]

The bunnygirl knocks, and then enters.

She has had all this time to think through what she was going to say, but as soon as she enters, Carlie remembers that she forgot one important thing: how to lead into the conversation.

...kind of an important part, right?

She bites her lower lip to help her think. "Hi," she says. What would be the best way to transition into it, anyway? 'hi i'm pregnant' 'hi i'm a shapeshifter' 'hi you may not recognize me but we've been on a date' 'hi i'm finally moving into HALO like you suggested' 'hi i know you probably don't believe me because Holly has your phone number and would have called you if this were true but i'm her and i lost my phone and also i'm a bunny now'. It would be so much easier to just ghost him and pretend she's a different person. To just start everything over again. It's a really tempting thing to do, but...she liked him and she liked the way he treated her. If she does that, there's no guarantee things will turn out the same. But if she confesses that she's been lying about her name, species, and everything else...

Carlie swallows in an effort to swallow her indecision. "Um..."

She idly plays with the ring on her hand.

She's got to say something because the longer it takes, the harder it will be. "L-listen, I have something to tell you," she says, as she looks down at her hands to avoid eye contact. If she makes eye contact, she might get too flustered and just give up in saying any of this. "You might want to sit down. . .You know Holly, right? Half-elf? Um...black hair? About this tall?"

No, wait, don't start it off that way, he might get the wrong impression like think she's dead or in the hospital or something! Totally the wrong impression!

[Reinholdt]

[Vet Visit]

Reinholdt's stomach sinks when Carlie opens up with having something to tell him. Nobody ever got good news when someone starts with that. They just get the good news! No, that was an attempt to allow the other person to buffer, to prepare themselves mentally for the wallop they can't be prepared for otherwise. Doubly so when told to sit down. Did people expect others would fall over when given news? Possibly, if their legs couldn't carry the weight anymore.

He had barely anytime to settle in before Holly's name dropped and everything went cold. Of course. Holly mentioned having a bunnygirl friend she was covering for. This was her wasn't it? Then Holly...

Any evidence of warmth leaves Reinholdt, the facade dissipating instantly as his reality sets back in. He had dared to try again. Dared to feel anything more than a cursory satisfaction of a passing passion. The universe couldn't harbor such karmic hubris from the man with a thousand sins. Was this the fifth or the sixth? Gods he couldn't even remember how many he's condemned anymore.

Rein should be stoic to this inevitability, but he cannot help but bury his face in his hands. This one had happened so quickly...

"Was it murder or an accident?" Rein manages to quietly ask without looking at Carlie, failing to disguise the strain in his voice.

[5a Violista]

[Vet Visit]

Seeing how he reacts tugs at her heartstrings and pushes 'she's not coming back' out of the options she was considering. That only leaves two possibilities, and she's still completely torn between them, even after coming all the way here and starting this. Either she can say 'something happened and she'll be back in eight or so months' when the baby's born and she can start shapeshifting again, or...she can finally open up and say she's a shapeshifter. Obviously, neither of those are things she wants to do, but she's got to pick one of those, and quickly so that she can stop seeing that look on his face.

The bunnygirl bites her lower lip again, trying to decide which path to take. "N-no," she says. She swallows. "She's fine. There was a bus crash in some newly-appeared town in Outside that she was in, but...she's okay now. It...it forced her to think about things." She really doesn't want to see that look on his face again, so she corrects that misconception first.

But, now the part that she's actually the most worried about.
The bunnygirl starts pacing, because otherwise she's not sure she could get it out without chickening out and just coming up with a 'trapped offworld' excuse. That excuse wouldn't work, anyway: if she was trapped offworld, how would she explain how Carlie found out and came here? How quickly would she be able to contact Magtok to tell him what happened? No, she's got to get straight to the point. "She...she wanted me to tell you something." She stops walking, closes her eyes, and begins dreading what possible reactions he could have. "Holly...she has been lying to you about her name, who she is, and basically everything about herself. Listen, she's a shapeshifter who's been using a dozen different identities and-and used 'Holly' to make it harder for people to recognize her, but then she met you and had a lot of fun and was just using you to make herself feel better and then you were so wonderful and understanding and comfortable that she actually started to like you," she says, babbling a little. The internal struggle inside her mind causes a couple tears to leak from her face. "A-and, so, after the crash she had to confront some things and so I'm here so she can tell you this so she can f-find out how you feel about her lying to you before facing you."

And now, she stands there with her eyes closed, dreading whatever response he'll give. If you learn that the entire identity of someone was made-up, you'd probably be mad at them, right? Or maybe not even believe the messenger.

[Reinholdt]

[Vet Visit]

A breath Reinholdt didn't realize he was holding escapes him, sounding very much like the relieved death of a strangled sob. His hands move down to only cover his mouth for a moment as he blinks in recovery and leans backs into the chair. So Holly wasn't dead. But had to think about things? This... was a breakup? Reinholdt had to fight back a laugh. No one's ever just... broken up with him before. They always died or stopped existing. This was such an actual relief comparatively, he found himself actually looking forward to it.

But it doesn't explain the nervousness of the bunnygirl in front of her. Holly's friend had nothing to be nervous about if she was just delivering a breakup notice. As the bunnygirl continued, it seemed to be something else. It seemed like the bunnygirl was ratting out Holly's deceptions and was afraid of the potential lashback. As if Holly had hurt her in the past or would most certainly if she found out what bunnygirl was doing.

Reinholdt is quiet when she finishes, previously anguished face now impossible to read face of stone, only passionate in its seriousness. After a moment, he stands without a word and moves around the desk until he's standing in front of Carlie, looming over her and staring at her intensely with his brilliant pink eyes, though perhaps not effectively if she continues to keep her eyes averted.

In one smooth motion, Reinholdt answers her, his arms whipping around her and his head settling next to hers as he pulls her into a tight embrace. For a time, all he does is hold her, hands gripping her back and refusing all non-serious escape attempts. "You're usually better at lying." He whispers into her bunny ear. The babbling and the way this complete stranger was describing him as if she knew him, but mostly the tears gave it away. A lot of little things clicked then, including that matching ring of theirs. Holly's lied to Rein plenty before this, and while there were many times he didn't notice, there were almost as many times where he did and chose not to push. He figured she had a good reason to keep things secret. Mostly suspected it involved a fugitive situation from the law based on her house. Plus the few times he did think she was lying, he had no good way to call her out on it. He's learned it's often a kindness to just let it go rather than try to pry something loose. Either way, there was no way she could stand here crying as she exposed herself and think Rein wouldn't catch on.

So Rein did and now that's he's caught on, he doesn't intend to let go. He'll hold her for a very long time. Though at one point he does add, "You're not allowed to scare me like that again," and kisses the side of her temple. There's a lot to talk about. A lot of questions Rein has that he'll struggle with later. But that seemed the most important point.

[5a Violista]

[Vet Visit]

When Carlie can feel that his breathing in front of her, she opens her eyes. Even now, a week later, she's still not entirely used to only being able to see color out of one of her eyes, and only heat out of the other - looking at something this close means each eye's only getting part of the picture.

She holds her breath, waiting to see how he responds. Once grabbed, she tries to pull away - but not seriously, because she wants to be held. And then, he speaks into her ear: and finally, she can breathe again.

She cries into his shoulder, probably getting it all wet, and holds him tight.

But can she promise not to scare him again? Given how she either needs to throw herself into combat on a regular basis or to sneak into AMEN to chat with the Thing in the Walls just to keep that gem on that ring clear? Given how there is a vigilante out there who promised to kill her? Given how she's still being affected by not one but two different mutation disease things that are trying to change her and the only reason they haven't already is because combined with her magical girl healing they kind-of counteract each other? "I...I'll try not to," she kind-of promises.

Plus, there's still one more thing that she feels like she would need to say. One more huge potential dealbreaker. "A...and so after that bus crash," she says, leading into it, "I can't safely shapeshift myself for a while...except, I guess, I'm still turning into a mermaid whenever I get wet, but it..." No, wait, stop, you're going off-topic in an attempt to prolong having to say it "...anyway. Um. I'm pregnant. You're the father. I can't voluntarily shapeshift without hurting the baby. And I gave away my house to someone who needed it more so I was hoping to finally move into HALO." Or continue alternating between sleeping on the street and in her car like she has been, but that's probably not something she should bring up.

Yeah, there's probably a lot of questions he'll have to struggle with. But at least he'll know there's like three fewer things that she's hiding from him.