HALO 184: Red and Grey All The Way

[5a Violista]

[Angeline's Day Date]

That is a good point. If you're looking for the lethal dose, it'll happen once. "Well, it took a lot of preparation to make sure it wouldn't actually be dangerous," she says. And don't worry! She probably promised not do do anything like that again. In fact, it was almost certainly around the same time Manja was born that she promised to not do dumb things like that again. Or maybe it was a couple months earlier. She can't remember exactly when she said that.

"I'm serious, it's not that exciting to see me drunk," Harley claims, "all it is is just dangerous and dumb." Although, if someone were using that as an excuse for not being able to handle alcohol, they'd probably just say the same thing anyway. So, really, there's no way to know.

Harley-lamia leans over the edge to grab the box, then rolls and sits up so she can hold the box in her lap. (Do snakegirls even have laps or is there some other word for that?) "So, is there something specific I need to do before opening it? Like, for Angeline's Day, some kind of song or ritual or something?" This is why holidays that you don't know are difficult. It could even be nothing, but he could tell her she has to do something before opening it, and she wouldn't know better.

[Aleph Null]

[Tour]

Aen ponders a moment as you mention this. // That's interesting. I think a place like this would be perfect for me, then...I've been trying to define the term "world" objectively for a while now, sort of like devising a system for categorizing them, but it's difficult to find any commonalities between certain worlds, so defining a set of axioms is virtually impossible...especially since the process of entering a world can be different for all of them, even for a being like me whose existence is by nature interdimensional. Some worlds exist that I can't even enter, likely (as I have determined) due to their lack of magic or the supernatural. So-called "dead worlds" have been something like an analogous structure to black holes for astronomers... // He goes on for a while, as you show him around -- literally spilling the contents of his cosmic mind into the surrounding space for you to try and make sense of. Clearly, and not unexpectedly, there is a lot of information inside this anomaly's...er, head?

[Morty]

[Tour]

"The concept of a world is as elusive as that of a deity." Fortunately, or perhaps not, Dorota seems incapable of being bored by such subjects. She listens intently as she shows Aen around. "And likewise depends on the perspective. When you look at maps made by cultures without easy access to long-distance travel, they will treat their homeland as the centre point. That was the case where I came from. To many people, their immediate surroundings are, effectively, their world."

[Recaiden]

"So you thought the confusing simulation of Magtok was sentient and trying to escape into the real base, but it definitely didn't?"
That's the sort of news it would be good to know for sure, but the fake-Juleka continues to be frustratingly vague, at least to Honeysuckle's ears.

"Well, the real Reinholdt is supposed to be very cute and inspiring and have incredible powers, right?" she suggests. "Where's all that?"

"But you're clearly not the same kind of shapeshifting imposter, so-"
She turns to Harley, lowering her hands.
"The other thing is, this Juleka said you were her mother?"
"Strange, right?"

[Reinholdt]

[Angeline's Day Date]

Reinholdt nods slightly, respectfully conceding the point. "Alright. I'll just take your word for it." Some people get cute when drunk, but it sounds like Harley gets... messy. Still, if she's uncomfortable with it, it's not a thing he'll push. Shame though. He'll just have to find other drinking buddies. Or continue to drink regardless of whether other people are there or not. Yeah, that works.

Lamias tend to pull things into their coils, so that's probably what constitutes their laps. "A ritual? Oh yes. That's right. You have to kiss the person giving you the gift before you're allowed to accept and open it." Reinholdt nods very seriously, but he very much made that up right there on the spot. It sounds like it should be a tradition though. "The singing is completely optional."

[5a Violista]

[Angeline's Day Date]

"Oh, I see," Harley says. Makes sense, kissing. "Seems vague enough that you can do different kinds of kisses based on who is giving it. Pretty neat tradition." She is also glad that the singing's optional; otherwise, she'd have to put off opening the gift for a couple days while she practices.

Harley lifts the box off her coiled lap, and sets it aside.

"Okay." Her long tail snakes out at Reinholdt, and tries to wrap around him. If it works, it pulls him towards her. "Come here, then." Then, if they're close enough, she gives him a very romantic kiss.

After that's over, she lets go of him, reaches back for the box, and opens it.


[Crossing By]

Marin feels like interjecting, but then realizes that she still has nothing to say. It is a little annoying being somewhere that she's basically just a guest, and so she doesn't feel like there's any way she can contribute. So she just looks at the baby and how cute she is.


"Correct, the simulation was shut down," Harley says.

She laughs at Reinholdt's comments about being the real fake. Sure, that's a really decent description how clones work, she thinks, but it's still pretty funny. Even if that's not what he's referencing, it's still funny.

"Yes, that is strange," Harley agrees. "Before her," Harley says, gesturing with the baby Manja to show who she's talking about, "I did have three kids, but they all died close to a decade ago." One in a fire, one of starvation, one of 'exposure to the elements', in fact, she would say. One of them even died in her arms! So she knows it for a fact.
Since the catgirl's looking so much at the baby, Harley turns the baby around so that Manja can look back at Marin.

"You know if she ever actually got cured of that meme virus?" It's an important question, in case they ever run into her.

[Aleph Null]

[Tour]
// Ah, but defining things off of perceived truths is insufficient; one's perceptions always require corroboration. Conflicting definitions quickly lead to breakdowns of axiomatic systems...for instance, say someone thought it was possible to divide by zero. If their version of math were actually the math that applied to them, then their existence would soon collapse...although, I have studied several odd worlds where reality is the weighted sum of the beliefs of its inhabitants. I call these realities "coerced" in that a powerful enough belief can force itself to be true. // The being continued for a while like this, obviously enjoying the company of one who could keep up with his speed of thought.

[Morty]

[Tour - Library]

Dorota nods.

"That's true. But when trying to define something like a god or a world, we do run up against the lack of axioms to rest on." She seems to remember she had an actual job to do here that's not just talking about natural philosophy. "But I was supposed to give you a tour. This is the library, where I suspect you'll be working for the most part. Then again I don't know if someone like you needs it."

[Reinholdt]

[Angeline's Day Date]

"You know I hadn't thought of it that way. It IS a neat tradition." That Rein made up. Ah well, all traditions have to start some time. Why not now?

He does eep a little when Harley physically wraps him up and lifts him towards her. He's certainly never been with anyone that could do that when he wasn't a small cat. But he can't say he doesn't enjoy being so thoroughly entangled with Harley. The kiss is returned, a deep, romantic affair.

Before attention is rightly turned to box, finally being opened...

When a WILD CURTAIN appears out of nowhere and drapes over the scene! What?!
It is remarkably unexpected and very dense.
Alas.

[Crossing By]

Reinholdt shakes his head. "Fel didn't know it was a simulation at the time. The simulation Magtok escapes the simulated HALO. It wouldn't try to gain access to the real world, that'd be silly." That's never happened before, surely!

And he raises an eyebrow. "Yeah... I don't know how to be any of those things. I just sleep on the paperwork." Often literally. Inspiring? Powers? That's crazy talk! Cute. Well... can't be wrong about everything.

"We had a doctor working on curing the meme virus, but the results are... ambiguous." Rein's still very uncertain if he actually succeeded or the virus turned out to be too unstable to continue infecting others or what. It's all very murky. Maybe he should have actually read the paperwork instead of sleeping on it. Then he'd be more informed about important things like this.

[Recaiden]

"If you're the best fake, shouldn't you at least try?"
Honeysuckle waves a hand dismissively; they seem genuine enough.
"There was a counter-meme cure. Don't know if she stayed long enough to get it, but probably yes?"

"Guess that's all solved. Marin? Sorry to get you mixed in all this." She holds a hand out to the catgirl; maybe they can get back to...whatever they had been doing, which she has managed to forget in the confusion.

[5a Violista]

[Angeline's Day Date]

Harley obviously starts dueling the curtain, for the crime of interrupting their date. Begone, monstrous curtain! Don't interrupt good conversation again!


[Crossing By]


Harley, who has, in fact, done some investigative work with the meme-virus, says, "If she did get cured, that's great. If not...that's potentially really dangerous." Causing a second wave of the virus would be bad, not to mention what this mysterious Juleka could do as a result of being infected.



Oh!
Paperwork.
After considering the situation, the catgirl decides that if these three - Reinholdt, Harley, and the cutest baby - were going somewhere, it would probably be bad to take them away from whatever they were doing especially if it's going to take a while to explain what happened at the teleporter. Paperwork seems like it might help, especially since it was just brought up.
Marin grabs Honeysuckle's hand. "It's fine; if you were teleported there by yourself, it might've been harder to get back," she tells the foxgirl. Then, she turns back to Reinholdt: "Um, I was thinking, about the teleporter, it's going to take a long time to explain everything that happened, so it might actually be better if one of us just wrote a report about everything that happened. Fixing machines like that take a while, I know, so it's probably better to have it all in writing instead of just explained once."

If they walk off to do whatever they had been doing (mostly, it was a celebration for Honeysuckle finally getting out of the hospital and Marin no longer having the collar, I think), then that's what she does.



Once (If? after?) they leave, Harley turns the baby Manja back around to be in a more secure hold, and turns back to Reinholdt. "So, the teleporter malfunctioning, the simulation room broken, a potentially-infected mysterious shapeshifter may be involved, and learning that our baby's an escape artist. Sounds like you're going to be really busy with all the fallout. The only good thing is that it seems like nobody was hurt." One person was frozen, sure, and Magtok was grappled in a hug, and Harley had a pretty big panic attack, but the worst-case scenario was avoided. "Is there anything I can do to help, or to take some of the load off you?"

[Reinholdt]

[Crossing By]

Trying sounds like work. Rein just sniffs.

Until Marin mentions a report.
Rein hadn't actually thought of that. Probably because he never reads the paperwork. Didn't realize he could just get a report.
"Yeah. Yeah, that could work. Just label it in red as important."
He might miss it if there isn't something big and red on the front.
"I'll have the teleporters temporarily shut down until we can assure their safety. So make sure I get that report by tomorrow morning at the latest." The faster they can get transportation back up the better.


Looks like Harley, Manja, and Rein are back on track towards the dorms. "Am I?" Rein thinks.
...
Yeah. He probably is. "Uggghhh, I guess so. Maybe Felandria will handle some of it." Maybe. But Rein considers Harley's offer carefully. "Well. Hmm..."
Think think think.
"I think you're helping enough watching Manja so much, don't you?" Rein's a little jealous really. "But if we do have shapeshifting infiltrators, I could definitely use your help. How does one safely test to see if someone else is a shapeshifter?" If anyone would know, Harley probably does!

[Recaiden]

Alright. It seems it really is all okay, and she can let this disappointing fake Reinholdt go.
Just gotta get a report done.

"A report today, no problem."
Marin was being too modest about the teleporter trap, but, if she doesn't want to mention it, that'll be just fine by Honeysuckle.
It's not like-
Was she really hospitalized in the medbay just this morning? She was? It's been one problem to another recently.

So the two do part ways with Manja and her parents.
"So, that's how HALO sometimes. We'll have to take the shuttles when we leave."

[5a Violista]

[Crossing]

Marin leaves with Honeysuckle.
Hopefully, when putting the big red thing on the front, she actually uses red instead of neon green or sky blue or lavender or something, because Marin's notorious for being unable to care about which color is which when not paying attention. It's why her outfits rarely seem to go together well.

Not realizing that she was being modest, Marin just doesn't bring it up. "
"I took the shuttles here, anyway, so it's not really that big of a change for me," the catgirl claims. "Buses and trains can be pretty fun."

Marin takes a deep breath. "Wow. It feels like it's been a really long day," she says.


[By]

Sure, watching the baby is some work that she's doing, and being a stay-at-home-mother has always been her dream job, but. "I don't mind doing other things sometimes," Harley says. Compared to the excitement of the rest of her life before this, it just doesn't feel like she's being useful. In fact, even today, she mostly just felt really really useless. Everything would have been solved without her, and possibly would have been solved faster without her.

"Um...well..." She needs to think about the answer, to spot shapeshifters. It's not easy. "Maybe some kind of magic that blocks shapeshifting?" Harley suggests, before thinking better of it. "No, wait, that wouldn't help find one that's in hiding, just help fight one. Um..."

Okay. More thinking. She keeps on walking that way. Multitasking, walking while thinking.
"I guess it really depends on what the source of the shapeshifting is. I've heard of some that a small electric shock would reveal them, and others where illusion-piercing magicks and soul-viewing magicks could help. Beyond that, some kind of wireless ID tag that scans people's IDs to make sure they are who they say they are. But..." She bites her lip, and looks down at Manja. "That woman seemed to actually know something about my mother and me, so it's entirely possible this Juleka is from the same world as me. In which case, you could easily spot her just by doing any kind of shapeshifting or form-changing magic or whatever while in contact with her. You can turn into a cat, for example, but...really, even some kind of magic that just changes your hair color should work, because it'd also change hers if you use it on yourself while in contact. I think I've seen magic makeup kits like that in Inside, once."

[Aleph Null]

[Tour]

// Actually, it should be rather helpful. A space set aside for quiet reading and writing, // Aen stated matter-of-factly. While it seemed like he definitely had more metaphysics to talk about, he respected that perhaps it might be better saved for later. He continued following for the tour of the building.

[Recaiden]

Surely Reinholdt will pay attention to the report regardless of the color, like a responsible organization leader.
And if you can't witness the colors of the outfits, they seem to work just fine.

"Has been a really long day."
Honeysuckle positions herself right next to the catgirl.
"Get some rest? Or do you have something to do after long days?"

[5a Violista]

[Crossing]

So close to Honeysuckle, Marin does her best to grab onto the foxgirl's arm.
"Normally, after a long day, I just grab a textbook and read through it," she says, calling back to her extremely boring hobby that she mentioned on the hot springs adventure.

She explains, to try to make it sound like she's not that boring. "But that's because, y'know, most my long and busy days don't require a lot of thought, y'know? So body's tired but mind's still pretty active."

[Recaiden]

It shouldn't be hard to get the foxgirl's arm, after which she leans a bit against Marin and curves her tails around towards her.
"So is just your mind tired today?"
She giggles for a moment; that is a really boring hobby.
"Kinda feel, we did a bunch today, but could do anything more, now."

[Reinholdt]

[By]

"Of course. I just... not particularly comfortable telling people to do things. Guess I should get used to it?" Rein's not so sure about that one. "We could probably use some replacement computer parts for the simulation room. Get it overhauled and upgraded? You could find or order those?" It's still just a suggestion at the end of the day.

"Hmm... don't want to fight a shapeshifter. Just find them and spritz them with water to teach them to stop." That's how it works right? Then Harley gets to her actual ideas. "Oh really? So if I turned into a cat while hugging you, you'd turn into a cute little Harleycat too?" Rein's grinning at her mischievously. Harley'd better dissuade him from whatever ill advised course of action he's considering!

[Felandria]

[Tour - Library]

Dorota nods.

"That's true. But when trying to define something like a god or a world, we do run up against the lack of axioms to rest on." She seems to remember she had an actual job to do here that's not just talking about natural philosophy. "But I was supposed to give you a tour. This is the library, where I suspect you'll be working for the most part. Then again I don't know if someone like you needs it."

Felandria arrives in the library, a couple books in her hand that she’s returning, and waves.

Hi, Dorota.

Who’s your friend?

[Morty]

[Tour - Library]

Dorota was about to say something else to Aen when Felandria walks in. Right on time.

"Oh, Felandria. This is Aen, a new member. I was showing him around HALO. Can you bring him onboard officially?"

[5a Violista]

[Crossing Crossing]

Marin's tails reciprocate.
"Kind-of? I guess?" she says. "I feel exhausted, just...not the usual kind of exhausted, y'know?"
Getting trapped in a large void filled with eyes tends to do that to you.

"To be honest, I could probably do anything still," she agrees, but adds, in a quieter tone of voice because she's loathe to admit it, "so long as I don't have to make a lot of decisions." Plus, obviously, still need to do that report, but that just has to be done sometime today before she leaves.



[By]

"Telling people to do things is hard," Harley agrees, sympathizing. So much easier to just do it yourself, even if that's not the best way to do it.

So.
Actually, spraying people with water seems effective.

"Nnnnnng..." She needs time to think about how to answer this. "Yes...but...I mean..."
Harley sighs. There's really no easy way to dissuade him from doing it, and communicate how she feels about it, is there?
"I already have a lot of bad memories of being forced into a form that I don't know how to get out of," she says, then adds, "but if it's an accident then I might forgive you for it." Or, alternatively, give her time to think through the process before doing it and then after a nice date, mischievously do it while teasing her and make sure there's nothing she really needs to do for the next several days, while also making sure she has good memories of it. She'd be okay with that, too, though she might not admit it. (She'd rather not admit that because then that would also be admitting to herself that she still really enjoys the 'turning into mermaid' lingering effects after that date way back when.)

"Also definitely don't do it while I'm carrying anything," like carrying Manja right now, because that could be unfortunate, depending on the circumstances.

[Reinholdt]

[By]

Reinholdt's smile falls a little bit. She definitely wasn't interested in that. Or at the very least was torn up about the matter.

"Understood. I'd rather wait until you're ready." Harley probably wants to see how she looks as a cute kitty too, on some level. Reinholdt figures eventually her curiosity will win out over her caution. But that's because it always does for him. He has trouble understanding that some most people are less curious than he is.

"Manja would do the same thing right? Though, I've already seen her as a cat today. Which reminds me, I should get myself disinfected." Manja clawed him pretty good back there. "Either it'd be easier explaining sudden hair color changes than surprise cat changes to innocents if I was randomly testing people for shapeshifting. Guess I need a magic make-up kit. What hair colors would I even look good in?" Hmm. A dilemma.

[5a Violista]

[By]

Harley nods, confirming that Manja would do the same to her. Honestly, this throws all the planning in training Manja out of whack. "Going to have to invest in some good magic-blocking gloves, then."

Harley looks down at the baby, realizing that it is now much more urgent to figure out how to reverse that, because a baby could decide to turn into a cat while throwing a tantrum or when frightened by some emergency. . . . . . better to have some experience with it before it's too late.

She changes her mind from earlier. Sure, she still would rather not get stuck in a form without thumbs and hands that she knows how to write with, but it's better in a controlled environment where she knows he'll be around to handle any emergencies that might come up. "Just...just give me a month or two first so that I don't get stuck in some helpless hybrid form. I'm trusting you'll help me get used to it before Manja decides she prefers being a kitten while being fed." That's not actually the worst-case scenario that came to her mind, but it is a scenario that is almost guaranteed to happen eventually.

Harley pauses in place and looks at Rein's hair. What would look good? "Your color already looks pretty good...but I think you would look really good with highlights or frosted tips," she says. "Or maybe a single stripe of a bright color, too." Is that helpful? Doesn't exactly answer the question, but she's satisfied enough with it to start walking again.

[Reinholdt]

[By]

"I have some curse protection gloves if you want to borrow them. I use them on my hunts from time to time. I don't know if they'd offer full protection..." May just want to infest in the proper glovewear rather than wearing might work second hand gloves.

Reinholdt nods seriously at Harley. "Of course. I'll do whatever I can to help." Though, he personally sees no problem with their daughter deciding cat food is better than human food. Because it just is. As long as it was properly prepared fish.

Which is probably exactly why Harley doesn't want that to happen.

"Hmm... hmm... ok! I'll give those a try. Highlights and frosted tip, huh?" Maybe just a wild streak of red in one spot. Rein spends a lot of time imagining the options and before he even knows it, they're back at Harley's room and Rein's opening the door for her cause she's holding the baby.

[Aleph Null]

[Library]

Aen performs a sort of folding motion that appears intended to resemble a bow, but works only partially due to the somewhat absurd physics of his not at all normal body.

// Greetings. I am looking to join your organization, as I feel access to its resources would help me further my quest toward knowing the unknowable. In return, I can offer vast troves of information, and magic power. I am ♄☿♅♌︎♓︎, but as Dorota has stated most call me Aen, as the former is difficult to pronounce. //

The speech, which Dorota may or may not already be used to, was far more likely a complete novelty to anyone else -- almost as though he were writing words on the fabric of reality and one's mind could pick them up in the form of telepathic speech. There was some semblance of sound to it -- the name ♄☿♅♌︎♓︎, for one, did have a sound that vaguely resembled the soft fall of stardust upon an asteroid's surface -- but it was not truly speech nor telepathy in the strictest sense.

[5a Violista]

[By]

Sure, she'll borrow those gloves, "Until I can get some proper ones." Harley nods.

So, actually she wasn't quite thinking about solid foods – she wasn't thinking that far ahead yet – and was still thinking about nursing, because gloves only cover the hands and wrists, but as soon as Harley realizes that Manja might ask her to cook some fish for her, I'm sure she is going to be properly horrified at the amount of time she will have to spend practicing different fish recipes.

She goes into her room. Because of the rush to leave the room and to look for the missing baby, things are still in disarray. Most notably, the alarm is going off.
"Thank-you," she says.

Of course, the first place she goes is to turn off the alarm, followed by retrieving Manja's pajamas and everything from the crib. "Oh! If she can turn into a kitten so easily, that solves the mystery of how she escaped," Harley says, finally putting two and two together. Can't remember if I ever described what Harley was wearing or the state of her hair, so it probably is a nightgown and sweatpants with bedhead, or something, but she doesn't care: that can wait until the baby is taken care of.
Manja makes some playful noises, almost like this whole day was a fun game for her.

Harley continues the conversation: "Yeah, it would be a simple, small difference, but I think it would look good. And if anybody asks, you could just say you're trying out a new look and ask what they think of it."

[Felandria]

[Tour - Library]

Dorota was about to say something else to Aen when Felandria walks in. Right on time.

"Oh, Felandria. This is Aen, a new member. I was showing him around HALO. Can you bring him onboard officially?"

Well, yes, of course.

I’d be more than happy to do so, Dorota, what have you shown our guest thus far?

[Reinholdt]

[By]

Reinholdt pulls out the gloves and sets them down atop Harley's dresser. "Here you go." They're pure white cloth gloves with no distinguishing markings, besides some obvious wear.

And shakes his head at Manja slowly, almost playfully. "You caused a lot of trouble for your mom today." And him, if he's honest. He always knew she'd be a handful, but he was hoping she'd wait a little while longer.

"I can hold her while you, uh, wake up." Gosh, is it really still the morning? It's going to be one of those lonnnnng days where you wish the day would just end already so everything can reset and you can try again.

[Morty]

[Tour - Library]

"Just the entry hall and the library for now. We got a little... distracted by talking about my research into divinity." Dorota looks slightly embarrassed. "The library and the lab is the part I'm most familiar with, anyway."