2023-02-09: Haroing Experiences Follow 'Harrowing' Experiences
- Log: Haroing Experiences Follow 'Harrowing' Experiences
- Cast: Anita Rosetta, Ruri Hoshino
- Where: Anita's Room, The Ra Mari II
- Date: 2023-02-09
- Summary: Ruri visits Anita to show off her Haros, Archimedes and Harro. They have a great time talking about Haros, and Ruri doesn't have to think about war crimes even one time.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Moving over to the Ra Mari II has given Anita a lot more room in her quarters. She's made good use of the space, having set up a proper workbench in her living room for her projects and a comfy, sizable couch across from it. The other thing it has enabled is that there is now plenty of room to allow her Haros to roam, as long as she isn't trying to sleep or in the middle of a project.
It might be a little much, to have so many of them around and exploring the space, but Anita is perfectly fine with it.
At the moment... she's seated on her couch, with a Haro in her lap - one with an outer shell painted silver. This one slipped out of her room and got one of its wings damaged while exploring the Ra Mari II. She's hard at work on repairs, holding it steady with her right hand while deftly making adjustments with the tool in her left (today's arm - a model with a light, minimal frame for optimal precision work).
A sea-green Haro, Anita's longest-present companion, sits never to her, monitoring her work and ready to chirp at her if she makes a mistake.
There are a few others rolling about, too. Most of them are in a variety of standard Haro colors and models, but a few are clearly custom jobs - one with a rainbow-patterened shell, and a green one bearing the Kakapo Squadron logo.
For Haro fans, it's an alright place to be.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Another Haro -- this one is also silver, with a blue undertint, not unlike Ruri's hair -- flaps into the room, enthusiastically. "This way, this way! Haros, haros!"
And a second... Haro...? Rolls into the doorway, before it rolls back, and rolls circularly into the room. This one is neon green and ALARMINGLY plastic, with a speaker on his head and a battery tray behind him, with a smiley face painted on him. The lights on his panels light up, and he says, BEEP-BEEP, as he moves circularly into the room.
"Harro, be careful," Ruri reminds the tragic knockoff haro, as she pauses at the door. Knock, knock. "Anita-san?" She asks, peeking in with those lapis twintails and her little Nergal uniform. "Can we come in?"
She called forward to see if she could bring her haros to meet Anita's, of course, but it's only polite to ask.
The lapis Haro flaps her wings, and exclaims: "Hello! Hello!"
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita looks up as a pair of Haros enter the room. She doesn't seem surprised, or even bothered by their barging in. She expected them, of course - but also, that's just Anita. She smiles, just slightly. She isn't the only one who takes notice, of course. The assortment of Haros stop what they're doing and turn to face the newcomers to an echoed chorus of 'Hello!' and flapping wings.
Anita's eyes linger briefly on the plastic, neon-green Harro. She seems pleasantly amused for a moment before her eyes track up to Ruri as she peeks into the room.
"Hey, Ruri, glad you could make it." Anita greets, accompanied by an echo of 'Ruri! Ruri!' from the sea-green Haro next to her. "Sure, come on in. Sit wherever you like."
There's room on the couch, but the workbench chair can easily be repositioned, too.
"They're certainly full of energy, huh?" She says with a smile, nodding to the two friends she brought with her.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri comes over, and sits herself down, on the workbench chair, swnging it around. Anita's sitting on the couch, after all!
"This is Archimedes," Ruri introduces the lapis-silver Haro, who flaps happily. "She really likes cooking, and explaining things, too. And this is Harro," she gestures, to the neon green o r b rolling around the room. "He's really straightforward... he even just likes being called Harro. But he's really very nice."
Archimedes flap-flaps over to Harro, to guide him away from rolling into the leg of the workbench. "Harro, fool! Careful, careful!" Harro goes beep?!, lights flashing on his round form in a different pattern, as he rolls circularly towards the couch instead.
"Unfortunately, just like me, Archimedes is becoming a pretty rude girl," Ruri has the sense to sound a little embarrassed, hearing her Haro 'baka!' at her Harro.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita looks to Archimedes and Harro in turn, smiling and nodding in approval at each one.
"Nice to meet you, Archimedes, Harro. She likes cooking, huh...? I bet she has a lot of fans." Anita greets. "And me, I can appreciate straightforward."
Anita rests a hand on the sea-green Haro next to her, who flaps its wings in greeting in response. "This is Haro..."
She indicates the one in her lap, next.
"...And this little one I'm fixing up is Silver." She introduces, before looking around to the others. "And then there's Red, Green, Blue..."
...Ah. A pretty evident pattern is emerging. It's... very Anita.
She's distracted away from listing all of the Haro in the room by the sight of Archimedes scolding Harro, which gets a chuckle out of her before she looks up at Ruri.
"Maybe a little. But she's looking out for him, too, which counts for a lot." Anita comments with a smile. "They say pets take after their owners, I guess it works for Haros, too."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"Howmei's girls really like her help in the kitchen," Ruri says, with a gentle expression. (She's not much of a smiler, but the tension can at least leave her face.) "Erina-san doesn't like it when she's on the bridge, so she decided to go and help them, instead... being able to bring up recipes for them made her really happy."
Ruri lifts her hand in a little wave, for each Haro who comes by. This comes with an electronic greeting for each of them -- along the lines of I'm Ruri, which means 'lapis lazuli' in a human language. It's nice to meet you., to match with their colour-coding -- and maybe she looks a little distracted during the introductions, because of it.
Archimedes flaps her wings, and insists, bravely: "I know what to do! Listen, listen!"
Ruri blinks, looking to her, and looks back to Anita. "Archimedes is an educational Haro," she explains. "Well, she's become kind of a know-it-all, but she still really wants to help. I mean... I don't know if I'm like that..." She's definitely kind of embarrassed by that.
"Fool, fool!" Archimedes chirps.
"Fool," Ruri scolds her back, automatically.
Meanwhile, the neon-green Harro rolls circularly around Green, and beeps happily(?) at them. Beep! Beep! Flashing lights!
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita smiles at that, mentally picturing Archimedes reciting recipes for Howmei's girls. It's a cute image.
"I bet they do. I'm glad she's found something she likes doing, I think it's pretty important for them to find things they enjoy." She replies with a nod. She watches with interest, then, as Ruri begins to wave at each of the Haros. She can't perceive the electronic greeting herself, but she can see the way each of them turn to look at her in turn, wings flapping excitingly as they return her greeting.
Anita chuckles too at Archimedes insistence before looking back toward Ruri, regarding her curiously.
"An educational Haro, huh?" She considers with interest, before noting Ruri's embarrassment. She offers her a small smile.
"I think it's alright. As long as it's to help, it's okay to flex your knowledge a little. Just don't rub it in anyone's face, you know?" Anita suggests.
Meanwhile, Harro rolls around Green. Green watches curiously, rotating in place... and then, when Harro beeps, Green's eyes flash back in solidarity, and its wings flap! It joins Harro in rolling circularly around the floor.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
They really move circularly!!! Harro is having a great time. He's made a friend! His lights flash on and off, and he beeps, merrily.
"I guess that's true," Ruri nods, in turn, to Anita's suggestion. "And if they find things they enjoy, I think Haros can reach their potential with a lot of excitement."
She looks to Anita's one friend who isn't named for a colour. "What does Haro like doing?" She asks Anita, with earnest curiosity. She'll ask about all of them eventually, of course, but...
Ruri feels like Haro must be the oldest!
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita looks toward Green and Harro, chuckling to herself as she watches the two of them play. It's nice! Her attention soon returns to Ruri as she asks her a question.
"I think so, too. You can kinda tell when something clicks, if you're watching them close enough." Anita agrees with a nod. "As for Haro, here..."
Anita pats Haro.
"If Archimedes is an educational Haro, then I'd say Haro here is a healthcare Haro. It was given to me when I was a kid to look after me, and hasn't really stopped." Anita explains. "Monitoring my health, keeping track of my appointments... scolding me when I stay up too late."
She smiles fondly for a moment.
"...Lately, though, I think it's taken to animal-watching. There's always a few new animal pictures in its data storage every time we go out Earth-side."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"A healthcare Haro..?" Ruri echoes, considering Haro, thoughtfully. "... I wonder if Ranka-san could use something like that..."
(Ruri is, after all, aware that Ranka's fear isn't just foolishness.)
"So Haro likes to watch animals... maybe you should take it to see an animal park, Anita-san," Ruri supposes, mildly considerate. "They say there are all sorts of animals, in a place like that."
Ruri tilts her head, to Haro, and says: "I think animals are interesting, too. There aren't many in space, are there? My favourites are things like fish and whales... I like animals that swim. Did you know that humans go on cruises to spot dolphins? I read about it with Omoikane, once." That she's talking to a Haro like a person doesn't seem to phase Ruri in the slightest.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"I think it's worth a shot, at least - if you think that's something she'd like, anyway." Anita encourages. She doesn't know Ranka, but if Ruri's thinking about her she must be someone she thinks of as a friend. She pauses for a moment then, as Ruri... makes a very good suggestion. Anita 'hm's thoughtfully to herself, looking down at Haro.
"That's... a really good idea, actually." Anita replies consideringly. "That could be a fun time, I'll have to think about it next time I have some free time."
And then, Ruri addresses Haro! Haro... seems interested! It reorients itself, rotating in its spot next to Anita to watch her as she speaks. Anita watches on curiously, a slight smile crossing her face.
"Swim! Swim!" It chirps with a flap of its wings, in a gesture of agreement and shared interest.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"I'll have to ask her," Ruri decides, with a nod. Certainly, a Haro isn't something she's going to deliver without a conversation about it. Haros are forever, not just for Christmas!
(Not that Christmas is going to come again too soon. Then again, it's always Christmas in Winter Wonderland...)
"I think there are some animal parks in space, too," Ruri says, "but I'd have to look it up." This isn't an imposition on her. Ruri likes reading encyclopedias.
And strangely enough -- for the first time Anita's ever seen -- Ruri smiles, at Haro. Just briefly. Just for a moment! But she's Speaking To Haro, in that moment. "That's right," she agrees. "But you'd better not try swimming without asking Anita-san to insulate you, okay? Water could hurt you a lot if it gets inside you. Especially salt water. It's not purified like the water they use on machine parts."
Meanwhile, Archimedes gets herself into a Flapping Contest with Silver, because Harro is still having a grand old time rolling around on the floor.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Anita smiles and nods back as Ruri comes to a decision. She hopes that works out - even if Ranka ultimately isn't interested, it could still lead to a good conversation. As for animal parks in space...
"I don't think I've been to any but... yeah, probably. I know they had, like, reindeer, back on Winter Wonderland." Anita says... and then pauses, frowning for a moment. "...Though, uh, now that I think back on it I can't say for sure those weren't animatronic..."
She smiles, then.
"If you read about any good ones, let me know!" She says. And then... Ruri smiles at Haro! Anita smiles, too. It was only a brief one, but it was good to see a smile on her face. At Ruri's gentle instruction, Haro swivels around to look at Anita.
"Anita! Anita!" It says. With a grin, Anita gives it a pat.
"Don't worry, I'll look after you." She says.
Meanwhile, Silver, now that its damaged wing has been fixed, is eager to get right back to it - which means, when Archimedes engages it to a Flapping Contest, Silver engages her right back!! It's a battle for the ages! Green, of course, continues rolling right along with Harro.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Archimedes flaps her left wing, and flaps her right wing, and then flaps BOTH wings, and it may become clear...
... that she's challenging Silver to flap flap flap so she can be certain her flappers are working like it's the '20s again.
"Anita-san takes very good care of you, doesn't she?" Ruri asks Haro, still quite gentle. "I'm glad. Someone who's kind to Haros is a really good person." Ruri... is still figuring out just what a good person is, but she's not wrong in this case, anyway.
(Unless... Anita is a secret super-criminal...?!)
(... well, they're all kind of criminals in the Three Ships, now...)
(... so Ruri is a secret super-criminal?!?!)
"I never saw a reindeer before I went to Winter Wonderland," Ruri says. She visited once, when the Nadesico went there on holiday! Yurika made a fool of herself on the slopes. Ruri had hot chocolate. It was great. "They're very big." They'd be even bigger, to someone as small as her. "I'd like to see more animals, sometime... Mr. Zevarist promised to take me to see his farm, one day. I've never been to a farm before."
Meanwhile, Harro rolls circularly, and has a great time with Green.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Silver's left wing flaps, then its right, then both... There's no sign of trouble - the test seems to go smoothly!
Haro swivels back around to face Ruri, then, eyes lighting up.
"Anita, friend!" Haro confirms. Anita, meanwhile... chuckles a bit sheepishly. A really good person, huh? Well... that is nice to hear.
...Anita has expressed pride in Minae's willingness to potentially commit (small) crimes, recently...
"Oh, you've been?" Anita comments with interest, then grins. "Right? They're huge. Impressive, honestly."
Anita racks her brains for a moment when Ruri mentions Mr. Zevarist, before going...
"Oh yeah! I remember him. I didn't know he had a farm." Anita comments. "Farms are great, though. I think you'd like one."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"I'm really happy for you," Ruri says, to Haro, when it confirms Anita is its friend. And even though her expression remains quite mild, she is happy! She's just not a very expressive girl.
"We went once, since Nergal-san decided we needed a holiday. I wasn't sure what to do about all the snow, though, so mostly I stayed inside." Weather! It's weird! Ruri had never seen snow before. It's damp? And cold? And she disappears into it very easily???
(Well, that's not to say it isn't... kind of fun...)
She nods, as well, on Zurvan. "Since he's Zentradi, the farm is very big, apparently," she says. "I suppose macronisation would make it easy to do work like that, too. Like how Lavnadim-san can work on mobile suits without needing a walkway."
Ruri, who is four feet tall, remarks: "I can't imagine being that big, but Omoikane says it's not so different to being my size." Omoikane, of course, is effectively about a hundred metres high, so that not-so-different is doing a lot of work.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
Ruri remarks on her happiness for Haro, and in return, Haro flaps its wings appreciatively.
A holiday... yeah, that sounds about right. Anita nods to herself - that makes a lot of sense to her.
"Yeah... I get that. Snow takes some getting used to - took me a while to, too, when I first started living there." Anita replies with a nod of understanding.
She listens to Ruri as she continues, nodding along.
"Yeah, it would be. I've seen some of the farms on the Frontier - they get big enough that they can just kinda... scoop up their animals and cradle them like we would a cat or a dog." Anita says, and then picks up Haro, putting it in her lap. "...Or, a Haro."
She nods, too, about Lavhi.
"Yeah, it's really handy. It's always really cool seeing him at work - I bet that Ra Mari II's made that a lot easier for him, too, now that he doesn't have to worry as much about hitting his head on anything while he's working." Anita comments with a nod... and then, considers Omoikane's comment.
"Not so different, huh...? Me, I'd have probably have to adapt..." Anita considers.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri looks a little confused about the cat and dog metaphor, given that -- here's a fun fact -- Ruri has never had a cat or a dog in her lap. She gets it when Anita adds the bit about Haros, though, and the mild confusion in her eyes dissipates with a nod.
"Since Ra Mari II was originally designed by Zentradi, I bet he's a lot more comfortable," she decides. "Not that he'd complain, anyway... but objectively speaking, these hangars have a lot more room for his equipment. Even the large tools." Does Lahvi have Giant Spanners to use on the mechs? Questions for the ages.
"I can understand, a little," Ruri supposes. "Since when I integrate with the Nadesico's systems, I know everything that's going on... it's not my body, so I don't really think of it that way, but I can imagine what it's like because of that. I guess when you're that big, what counts as hitting your head just changes scale."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Yeah, I bet. I'm happy for him." Anita replies with a nod. Not that he'd complain... Anita chuckles good-naturedly, at that. Yeah, he wouldn't - and hasn't, really, as far as she knows. "I'm all for anything that makes his job easier. We all count on him a lot around here."
She nods as Ruri says that she can understand the difference in scale a little, and then considers it herself.
"...Yeah, when you put it like that, that makes a lot of sense..." Anita says, 'hm'ing thoughtfully. "That's their 'normal', just like this is 'normal' for us..."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"He's a reliable person," Ruri agrees. She likes Lahvi! He reminds her of Goat.
She nods, legs swinging under the workshop chair. "Normal changes depending on who you are, I think," she says. "What's normal for the Haros is different from us, too, but they're nice enough to try and reach us on our level anyway."
Ruri turns her attention to Green and Harro -- who's still rolling contentedly around. "Can you tell me about your other Haros, too?" She asks Anita, looking back to her. "It's okay. I have time, since the Nadesico is refueling."
She will eagerly sit through every Haro's life experiences, though her expression doesn't shift much from mild curiosity.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Yeah, they're great that way - and they don't even ask for much, besides maintenance and attention." Anita agrees with a nod. They've always been good, reliable friends to those who need them.
And, Ruri asks if she'd tell her about her other Haros, too. With a smile, Anita nods.
"Yeah, I'd like that. I don't have anything on my schedule for a while, either." She says. With that said, Anita will gladly introduce her to each and every one - who they are and what they enjoy, until it's time for both of them to move on.