2023-03-24: HaroCon: Path C!
- Log: HaroCon: Path C!
- Cast: Eight York, Naoko Suzuki, Rena Lancaster, Yurika Misumaru, Riika Sheder, Anita Rosetta, Banagher Links, Ruri Hoshino, Leina Ashta, Sayaka Yumi, Rakshata Chawla, LiSA, Koji Kabuto, Christina MacKenzie
- Where: HaroCon
- OOC - IC Date: 0097-03-24
- Summary: It's the lost episode of HaroCon! A month-long celebration for everyone's favorite companion robot. Who knows what colorful characters will be drawn to today's events?
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
With blocky, colorful letters, a banner hangs above the entrance to a premium convention center located in the Orbital Ring. "WELCOME TO HAROCON!" Entry lines are long. Pre-bought tickets get people in much more quickly, but even buying tickets at the door won't be too terrible.
Upon entering, guests are greeted with the Haro Hall of Fame, celebrating some of the most accomplished miniature robots.
A video plays from within a display. Two white Haros with blue crosses painted just above their faces wave to passers-by. "Nouvelle Tokyo Hospital has integrated Haros to their treatment plans! Assisting in patient monitoring, physical therapy, and emotional support, the program has received near-universal approval from those who have participated." On the screen, a patient lays in a hospital bed, smiling at a Haro cuddling them.
Across the Hall, a bronze statue commemorates another heroic Haro. It is sculpted to be wearing protective padding, both of its wing-flaps open. A plaque beneath the statue reads: Cerulean, a custom generation two Haro, performed over 50 combat-assist missions before his untimely destruction during Axis Shock.
Other entries are available to be viewed if desired, but at the end of the Hall is a map of the convention! It's somewhat convoluted -- the convention center has multiple floors. Labeling is sparse and people crowd around it. It will take some effort to figure out where you'd like to go.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Last time, on Naoko Goes To HaroCon: virtually the entire time was spent looking down at her phone, using Asciel's streaming game to take her mind off of the fact that she was in a big crowded place where she didn't know anybody! Which she failed to actually see through to the end because she got distracted. But she got to meet her Hero-Haro, Psyco Haro (Disclaimer: not actually a hero), so it was all worth it!
Today, however, things will be different. Today, she's here with friends! That's bound to make it easier to engage a little more with everything HeroCon has to offer. Naturally, she is once again wearing the only things she has that make sense for her to wear: the purple T-shirt featuring the menacing red-eyed Psyco Gundam, showing off its signature drill and wrecking ball hands. As well as her new SUPER NOVA cap, that may also have a Haro on it but you know that's not why she's wearing it. She also has her shopping bag with her again and dangit, this time she'll make sure to actually use it for something!
Her entrance is already completely different than last time, where she whipped out her phone immediately. Instead, she now spreads her arms wide as if presenting the scene before them, reading aloud the banner as she announces to the Ra Mari II crew accompanying her: "Welcoooome to HaroCon!" Turning to face Rena and Anita, she grins widely. "Now, don't you worry about your bearings while you're here, because I, Nova Stellar, have the floor plan and event schedule completely memorized! You wanna know where or when something is, you just come to me!" Fully assuming a tour guide role, the first thing she points out with a flourish is the large bronze statue display. "Here we have Cerulean, we all know his deal of course." She snaps off a quick salute. "Thank you for your service!"
It is... so much easier to just not care about whatever attention she might be attracting when she's with others.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena Lancaster is here with some of the Ra Mari II crew. She walks near the front of them -- next to Anita Rosetta, but with their cluster. She has a T-shirt (with a Haro print) and blue jeans, and is peering around as they come in the front doors of the entrance to the convention center.
She stares at the video for a moment, her eyes widening -- and then looks at the giant Haro sculpture. She gasps a little, before she looks back at the others.
"I... I didn't know about hospital or combat Haros," she says to Anita. Then, she looks at Nova, and Rena blinks.
Then she smiles. "R-Right!" she says. "Um, well--where should we start?"
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
THREE!
TWO!
ONE!
DOKKAN!
"WOOOOOOW!!! IT'S 'GET TO KNOW THE NADESICO!'"
Nergal has an entire panel at HaroCon! Of course they do! They didn't shell out for the first day's lavish Nadesico cosplay and just leave it at that, no! From behind a low wall, a Yurika Misumaru clad in - - - NOT the rabbit kigurumi, but instead the much showier convention-attracting and still-Nadesico-colored bunnysuit! (the bunny ears look like the Nadesico's prongs!) (the upwards points on the chest look like the Nadesico's bridge!)
"Heeeey everyone! Come closer! It's time to talk about the secrets of the Nadesico!" Yurika cheers into a microphone, working the crowd over big time with a showy sweep of her arm and a big flashy wink to the audience, sure to pull up applause!
"I'm Bunny Yurika-" with a little *twitch twitch* of the ears - "And I brought Big Sis Ruri with me to teach you all about what makes the Nadesico the best ship in the stars!" with a little swing of her arm to Ruri's direction, a gesture with enough force that she seems almost flung backwards from the momentum of it.
"Say, Ruri-chan! Isn't it amazing that a ship like the Nadesico can have a kitchen rated 4 stars by the Orb Culinary Composium? Tell the audience more about our top of the line kitchen equipment!"
From behind Yurika, six more girls in - somehow what is both clearly a cheerleader uniform and clearly an apron. It's Howmei's assistant chefs, and they all give a unifying 'Tell us, Ruri-ruri!'
"Mou, the food's so delicious on the Nadesico that even a captain like me has to watch out and not enjoy it too much, or else I won't even fit in this bunnys-gwah!" Yurika's conked out by a suspiciously well-timed stray Haro colliding with her head, and has to carry the panel through with a bit of an achey bump up top.
Once the end of the little presentation comes, though, Yurika's quick to hop down from her podium and sprint with a high-waving arm over at Rena. "Rena Rena Renaaaaaa, I was worried about yoooooou, how've you beeeeen! Don't ever do something as super duper dangerous as the stunt you pulled at GENESIS or else I'll have to scold you!!!" She's carrying the same Haro that bopped her - indeed a Hospital Haro with a big red cross on its underbelly. "Haros really do all sorts of jobs, don't they? From what I've seen of Lacus's ship, I partly wonder if Haros will one day captain our battleships..."
As if on cue, a dark blue Haro with a fluffy beard, pipe, and big nautical hat drifts by, extending one of its little extendo-hands, and puffing out a loud, "Haaa-ROOOOOOO!!!'
<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.
This isn't Riika Sheder's first time at HaroCon.
This isn't even Riika Sheder's first time at *this* HaroCon, because she showed up for the cosplay event, and then hung around for several hours afterwards, about half of which were in costume. She got a surprising (to her) number of compliments about it.
But this is her first time at HaroCon with a group, because today she showed up with the Ra Mari II crew. Which means that, in addition to the gaggle of off-duty military personnel, there is someone... in costume.
Specifically, a Mobile Haro costume - a walker-style fan add-on briefly popular in the 0080s, especially with mechanics, as it had better manipulation and could retrieve and operate some handheld tools.
Her head and chest are covered with the traditional round Haro head with its smiling face, with the shoulders of the Mobile Haro serving as her shoulders. Built around it, and extending down her stomach to her hips, is the green-grey 'armored torso' of the Mobile Haro, though a little more accommodating of humanoid proportions and build than the cylindrical original. At her hips it meets grey plates meant to look like the Mobile Haro's ball joints, and her hands and feet are in rigid grey costume gauntlets and boots. She has a bodysuit underneath of the same green-grey as the torso, to cover her upper arms and legs. As an accessory, across Riika's back is a back-mounted 'jet thruster' like the original Haro Mobile designs with cosmetic exhaust pipes.
It wouldn't be clear who was in there if, well, they didn't already know, but they do!
Mobile Haro Riika waves to a few people as they pass (nobody she knows, she's just being friendly) before: "Well, I've been before," she says to Naoko, "but I didn't know if you had anything planned?" She does look up, startled, as someone sprints at the group - oh, it's Yurika.
Wait, why is Yurika in a bunnysuit? Under the helmet, Riika's eyebrows furrow.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
HaroCon is here! As quite the Haro fan, this is something Anita has very much been looking forward to. She's been a few times before today, but has largely kept to herself to check things out at her own speed. Today, though - she's here with someone! She's glad to be able to share it with Rena - and having Naoko to help guide them to all the best spots is a big plus, too.
She strolls alongside the others and, as usual, she's dressed fairly casually - today's outfit is a comfy hooded vest over a tanktop and jeans. Today's arm, though, is something she built especially for this event. Her left arm... is a human-scale replica of a standard Haro arm. The hand design has been slightly altered to maintain her usual full range of articulation, but otherwise it's identical. And, of course, hopping happily alongside her is her longtime companion, a sea-green Haro with blue eyes.
A smile crosses Anita's face as she spots the exhibit for the Nouvelle Tokyo Hospital.
"Wanna get a closer look?" Anita asks. Her Haro hops up into her arms and she holds it up to the display before looking toward Rena and Naoko.
"Yeah, I dunno if there was a dedicated program for it before or nothin'... but I can vouch for the results." Anita says with a smile. "I dunno how well I would've ever recovered if they didn't give me Haro to help comfort me after... well, y'know."
She's soon distracted by the approach of Yurika and the Nadesico crew, and she shifts the weight of her Haro to offer a wave... with her Haro hand.
"Hey there, Yurika, everyone. Glad you all could make it." Anita greets with a smile, and then looks toward Riika. She looks her costume over... and then, offers her an appreciative nod.
"I gotta say, though, Riika... I'm still impressed with that craftwork of yours. Lookin' good!" She says. She can definitely appreciate that kind of effort.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"Convention! Convention!" Haro chirps, waving his winglets with abandon.
...as he has been doing for... quite a while now.
Banagher adjusts the little robot in his arm. "Haro, we've been here a dozen times this month, why is today different?"
"Leina! Leina!" Haro announces, cheerfully.
Hand-in-hand with his girlfriend, Banagher smiles softly. "You're right. It's way more exciting with her here. Everything is better with Leina."
Leaning in, Banagher kisses Leina, delight in his eyes. The exhaustion that so often hangs on his shoulders is missing today. There's a sense of youthful enthusiasm, as he walks with purpose into the convention. Dressed in a splashy HaroCon official t-shirt, nice jeans, and flashy green sneakers, Banagher looks the part of an excited 17-year old con-goer. He's not even wearing a hoodie!
It's all he needs to be, today.
Though he's seen it before, Banagher pauses at the memorial of Cerulean. "I bet someday you'll have a statue too, Haro." Banagher says, somewhat unseriously.
"Statue! Statue!" Haro responds, clearly fond of the idea.
"Leina, where would you like to go first?" Banagher asks, after taking a moment to wrangle Haro again. "We can't miss Koji's panel." A mischievous grin. This must be an inside joke. "But there's still a little shopping I've been meaning to get around to. I've got to pick some parts up for the Haro I'm making for Eight!"
"How about you?" Banagher pauses, blinking widely as a group of women pass by in... cheerleader outfits? And a bunnysuit? "Uhh... Cosplay has been really intense this year! People are going all out."
Riika stomps by in her Mobile Haro costume, and Banagher gets stars in his eyes. "That's one of the winners of the cosplay contest! She looks so cool!"
"Leina, thank you so much for coming with me. I know you love Haros, too, but even so--" Banagher smiles, looking totally unburdened. "This is wonderful."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri liked HaroCon so much when she came here with her crew -- didn't you see her? She was hanging out with Jun, so the camera might not have focused on them much -- that she's here again, for a second day, tickets all prepurchased. Indeed, today she has a special task!
And that's why she's all dressed up in overalls, as Big Sis Ruri. But if you look closely, there's one difference in her costume, compared to her recorded Naze Nani appearances...
... little green Haros are tying her twintails back.
(And, one might note, there are two Haros -- one silver-blue, one knockoff green and suspiciously unHarolike -- rolling about the edge of the presentation.)
Her expression, of course, is characteristically dour. "As the Nadesico's gravity controls reflect Earth conditions to a confidence level of 95%, the kitchens are able to employ several food cooking methods which are impractical on most ships, particularly with regards to the physics of open flame and water--"
She presses a hand to her earpiece.
She frowns.
"Because the Nadesico is very special," Ruri pouts, "you can cook food just like you do on Earth."
So anyway, the panel is just kind of Like That.
Once the end comes, Ruri, too, clambers down from the podium (both hands pressing to the edge and w r i g g l i n g off onto the floor, because she's only four feet tall, and the height is kind of intimidating), and she and Archimedes and Harro follow Yurika to go see the Ra Mari II contingent.
Which is to say: Archimedes flaps her silver wings and bounces along, while Harro rolls, circularly, and hits the side of at least three tables as he figures out how to route along with them.
Unfortunately, this also means that he runs into someone's shin. "What's this?" The boy frowns, as he looks down.
"That's Harro," Ruri informs him, flat-faced.
"That's not a Haro!" The boy huffs, folding his arms. "You've got one there, right?! Look at the difference! You got ripped off!"
"Fool," Ruri scowls, as she scoops Harro up into her arms. "Don't talk about Harro that way. Come on," she tells him, as he lights up in protest. "We've got to catch up."
"Fool! Fool!" Archimedes flaps her wings, in sharp indictment, as she bobs on after them.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
This morning Leina helped Ramo move to her new home in Tsutsujidai, then took a shuttle back on over to the ring after, before meeting up with her boyfriend.
No tickets were necessary to buy since Leina was part of the Harocon staff. She wrote and directed the whole stage show after all.
"Using Haro to flirt with me is cheating you know. Makes it too easy." She teases him, as she squeezes his hand.
Right now she's in a green T-shirt shirt with a happy, flapping pink Haro in the center with the words 'HARO GIRL' prominently, and a pink light jacket.
On her head is a green beanie knit cap with Haro flaps on each side that was given to her for her birthday. She's wearing a pair of worn jeans, and a pair of tennis shoes, while carrying a Haro emblazoned bag.
And following behind her is Giovanni, a blue-violet Mark II that's rolling around, and on occasion greeting the people he rolls by while with a, "Hark! Good Morrow! Hark!"
Apparently she has a very specific kind of personality module loaded. "I heard about that program being a real hit at Hospital Universitario Sagrado Corazon. All the kids in the pediatric wing loved it."
She confides to Banagher.
She has somewhat mixed feelings about the combat assist missions part, but the original Haro was on the White Base... Kikka still has him to this day.
Leina waves over to the Ra Mari II crew, "Hey hey there Rena, Annie! I'd seen Lavhi was about but I'm glad we have a lot of Haroic convention goers!" She winks at them, even as she spies the statue, and Banagher notes Haro's ambitions.
"Ha! Ambitious! I'm not sure I'd call Haro a 'combat assist' Haro. Even if he does fly with you. Hey Giovanni, come here..." Leina says as she squats down, scooping him up, and pointing him towards the bronze statue. "So what do you think? Was Cerulean a brave Haro?"
For a time, the Haro is quiet, solemn, and then becomes animated, "Cerulean! Valiant! Taste death but once! Cerulean!"
She then looks back towards Banagher, then past her back near the Ra Mari crew and at the Cosplay, "Wow. She really went all out!" She says of Riika, "I'm." Pause, "Confused by the bunny?"
She then moves to addressing the question, "Koji's panel huh? He better not unveil a Photon Powered Haro today or we'll be having words after on what he OUGHT to be doing."
Like inventing a Photon Powered Engagement Ring.
Before she pauses, and "I don't know, I figured I'd window shop, but I'm not sure if there's much Giovanni and me really need?"
Which is her typical excuse, she doesn't really spend money on herself, "Surprised you're making a Haro for Eight. Feels like Lavhi would have that one on lock."
As he thanks her, she leans over and kisses him on the cheek lightly, "Isn't it? I'm happy we could do this together."
There's a lot weighing on her shoulders right now, too much, like a black cloud over her life, but today at least, she's trying her best to enjoy just going out on a date with her boyfriend.
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Sayaka is not particularly Haro-brained, never really growing up around the phenomenon as much as many others. Koji did offer a panel on Haro modding though, and LiSA really reeeeeeeally wanted to go. And far be it from Sayaka Yumi, Director of the Photon Power Labs to tell that girl no, unless it's somehow pun-related. She is going to be her chaperone, though.
She's not actually dressed in her capacity as director though - she's wearing some casuals: pink blouse and yellow pencil-skirt. "There's.. a lot to see here," she observes, from the statue of the fallen Cerulean to.. whatever's going on over at the Nadesico panel. The dedication, Sayaka can respect. Maaaybe the PPL need a mascot... but Sayaka knows she'd affectionately slap the daylight out of Koji if he suggested anything remotely like a bunny costume for her.
"So look around as much as you'd like. Just.. don't go too far, okay? It looks very easy to get lost around here." She warns LiSA, out of concern of the sprawling labyrinth that is Harocon.
Sayaka also overhears familiar voices: that must be Banagher and Leina. "You can't miss Koji's panel, huh?" She approaches, with a smirk. "It's very good to see you two out and around.. and also that we ran into each other in the same place. ...and no kidding, Leina." Sayaka has the same subsequent inner thought, of course. She considers whether she needs to introduce LiSA to Banagher but that's right: they met during that Christmas kikaiju attack and its aftermath... and certainly bonded over how tasty Boss Ramen is.
<Pose Tracker> Rakshata Chawla has posed.
An Indian woman is sitting near the front in chunky sunglasses and a sunhat despite being indoors, along with a rather spring-colored sari that nonetheless shows that she has a navel piercing. She's also blonde, and she has a pipe, although it is not lit and even has a sticker over the bowl.
Yes, they peace-bonded Rakshata's kiseru.
She has her legs crossed one over the other as she watches the panel, her lips turned down in a frown. A thinking frown, mind you, not a 'I'm upset' frown, even if it's hard to see her hands.
Her question in the panel is --
"What's your ship labor representation?"
Although she does lower the glasses to look at some of the levels of customization on those Haros. Everyone can appreciate a good Haro job.
<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.
Joining the many finding out about Haros, LiSA had discovered these wonderful little spheres of computer-mechanicals and was in delight. They're adorable! They're all so different! So many colors, and designs, and everything inbetween! It's like seeing how many ways Master interacts with different people!
She did not, in fact, find out Koji had a panel until late, and then it began. She knows perfectly well that she has to have someone with her when it comes to going out and about when it takes her outside of the Labs; so the requesting began! Luckily, Sayaka gives in very easily. To her, at least. To Koji, not at all. She's not changed at all, still dressed in her normal shirt and short and everything else combo.
"I won't! I promise!" She says when warned not to drift away too far. When Sayaka's attention drifts, she also looks, and the enthusiastic teenaged toddler joins them. "Hello, Leina, Banagher!" She has an excellent memory. Of course she remembers friends!
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"The Nadesico has had successful labor disputes in the past," Ruri reports to Rakshata, straight-faced, at Naze Nani Nadesico Question Time.
"For instance, workers won the capacity to be physically affectionate with one another and marry while we were deep in space. The adults wanted to kiss each other... I don't see the point, but I guess it really mattered to them." Big Sis Ruri sighs, beleaguered. "Fools..."
<Pose Tracker> Rakshata Chawla has posed.
A small child addresses Rakshata's question. She uncrosses, and recrosses her leg, before raising her hand as if to be called upon.
She talks anyway:
"Does the standard employment contract prohibit f" FORTUNATELY SOMETHING INTERRUPTS AT THIS POINT
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"A closer look at the Hospital Haros?" Rena asks. She hesitates, before she nods at Anita. She still gawks a little at the Haro Arm. She has been since they left. "That sounds great! If it's not too nerdy. It feels a little nerdy."
She cracks a smile, before she looks to the mysterious costumed stranger with them. Though, she knows who that is.
"I love your costume!" Rena says, cheerfully, to Riika. As far as friends go, Riika is a pretty new one; they've known each other for longer, but...
The world was sort of teetering on the edge for a lot of that time.
"Did you make it yourself?" she asks, before she looks from Mobile Haro Riika to Bunny Captain Yurika. She stares for a second.
Then she waves at her, then, and she smiles. Her eyes are apologetic, even if she looks a little flustered. Yurika is a superior officer. She is also in a bunny suit.
"A-ah, I'm sorry, Captain Yurika," she says. "I didn't mean to worry you. I'm just... glad everyone got out okay!"
She smiles at her, before she nods her head. She glances at the Hospital Haro, for a moment, and then at Captain Haro. She stares for a moment. "Th--that... would be something else..."
She spots Leina and Banagher, in the distance. Rena waves at them.
"Leina! Banagher!" Rena says. "I wasn't gonna miss it. Besides, uh--" She motions at Annie. "She's a huge Haro fan! I had to come along. And we got a few more on the crew, too!"
She makes a little 'ta-daaaa' motion to Riika and her outfit.
When she spots Sayaka Yumi, though, she just sort of stares -- she mostly knows her from the couple of fights they were in together and, also, the news. LiSA she doesn't quite recognize. (Yet.)
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
HaroCon is busy, and lovely! Yurika's performance gets plenty of interest from people curious about the mysterious ship 'Nadesico', though not so much that there aren't Haros floating around to get in the way. The Mobile Haro costume gets multiple requests for photos!
Such as: "What a great costume! How'd you get the thruster like that?" says a fascinated guy with big glasses and a huge Haro tie.
Otherwise...
Once guests have made their way through the Haro Hall of Fame, taking in the helpful map or not, they will find themselves within the vendor hall and artist alley. It's a truly enormous room, filled with the bustle and chatter of an excited crowd.
One far wall hosts food and drink stands. A few popular chain restaurants have set up shop, along with small pop-up stands. Suitably, many items are shaped like Haros, including a pancake stand that will color your pancake to match your own little companion robot, should you have one.
A nearby corner of the room features a 6-foot tall Haro statue, eyes glowing in ever-changing colors. It seems to mark the location of a macronization chamber, open for all Zendtradi guests. Even the very tallest of those guests have plenty of ceiling clearance in this room -- this main room is designed for the comfort of all.
And in that huge chamber is an equally large man--dressed in a nice, but casual brown suit, Lavnadim Orlodhari ('Lavhi' to his friends) stands beside a gigantic Haro in deep green, not quite as large as the statue. "And this," he says, "Is ideal for children in their larger states, but is also welcome when one is smaller! My lovely assistant will demonstrate..."
A blonde woman in red--Eight York--steps over to the giant Haro and hugs it with both arms, leaning on the large robot, which flaps happily. "Miss York! Miss York!"
"So I hope you will consider bringing one home as I have. My own resides at the Macronization chambers!"
Near the doors, an interesting new item is available for rent. An indoor scooter molded around a Haro of soft-orange hue. It seems Haro does the driving for you, leaving you free to take in the sights. They may be especially helpful for those who are disabled or tire easily. Quite a few scooters are already buzzing about the convention floor -- they're a hit!
Dominating the majority of this open area are the vendor tables. The very center row features Haro sellers themselves. The SUN Corporation has the biggest display by far. As the original creators of the Haro, they're treated with a sort of honor here, though there are dozens of other vendors. Generation 4 is the newest Haro on the market, and its ability to be customized is on full display. Mini Haros are ever-present, arranged in rainbow displays with their winglets eagerly flapping. Every color of the rainbow is available for both sizes, along with alterations made to the shell of the little robot, the interior, or even the mechanics within.
A few vendors even offer to modify your Haro's shell as you wait. The only limit to their services is the imagination of their guests. For those a bit more cautious with their tiny friends, there are an equally-large number of vendors offering to paint, engrave, or apply decals to a customer's Haro.
Another booth is off to the side, decorated in furiously saturated crimson and purple. It's selling all sorts of cheap-looking merchandise that is nonetheless a garden of novelty items. A Devil Gundam Haro costume stands out as the centerpiece. The most well-crafted item of the bunch, it even includes new arms and legs for your Haro that telescope out like its namesake. Other merch includes God and Shining Gundam keychains, in new Haro-fied forms, a selection of Demon Cashew knockoff plushies, and a big wall scroll listing the 100 Commandments of the Undefeated of the East. A sad-looking tip jar languishes at the corner of the table, placed to both look unobtrusive, yet still in full sight. A piece of paper taped to it reads "Please help me get my next lunch."
Slouching his way between the tables, a lanky man with a dark mop of hair examines the artwork on display. His attention is drawn by anything particularly pink. "E-excuse me." He asks an artist, pointing to a painting of a Momo Haro holding a magic wand against a starry background. "Is this a magical girl?"
Moving out further from the central row, the merch continues, possibilities as infinite as the stars in the sky. Haro clothing, jewelry, accessories! Both human-sized and Haro-sized, a particularly dedicated owner could create a full matching wardrobe with their companion. Branded items are plentiful. One booth offers authentic Gundam Fighter signed magnetic patches. Another, Anaheim Electronics hats -- for humans and Haros.
One booth is specially dedicated to Sheryl Nome merch for your Haro. Even though she's not traditionally been associated with Haros, it looks like the con was able to score a deal with her manager to feature her anyway. The booth features stickers and decals of Sheryl in pink silhouette, Sheryl in various costumes including the Black and White Bunnies from her Universal Bunny live performances, and Sheryl in chibi mode, also in various costumes. These decals also include stylized text reading UNIVERSAL BUNNY with a bunny-eared planet in between, PINK MONSOON in rough text, and no-text renditions of Sheryl's emblem, a golden heart with a fairy wing on the right. They're also selling a limited line of custom pink Haros with a blonde wig and a single drop crystal earring on their right winglet. Their eyes flash blue, and they repeat, "Because I'm Sheryl Nome! Because I'm Sheryl Nome!"
Even utilizing a Haro scooter, any guest could spend days in this place and not see everything. Smart shoppers will look at one of the regularly-placed map kiosks and plan out their route.
<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.
Riika has been pretty wave-y today. A lot of people want to say hello to Mobile Haro Riika, apparently. She even fell behind a couple times to take pictures, or have pictures taken of her, and is happy to explain bits of it: "It took a while to set up. Obviously it can't actually lift me, but look!" Riika activates the thruster - and the flared bell of it lights up, as if there was a burning thruster inside, while the exhaust pipes up above her head emit a single burst of foggy mist.
But she's not behind so much that she can't keep up with the group. "Thanks!" she says to Anita, her voice clear from the inside - it really is Riika. "I like the arm, too. Do you make them yourself, or do you have them made?" Medical cybernetics don't bother her (well, they wouldn't, given technically she's using some too - just less visible).
She explains to Rena, "I did make this one myself! I've always liked doing this kind of thing, but I don't have much of an excuse to spend the time..." Riika sounds a little sheepish. "I wouldn't have been able to this time, if things hadn't worked out the way they did. A lot of this was already done - just at my home at October Seven. I've got some other designs... I can show you the sketches sometime if you want, but none of them were exactly the HaroCon feel."
Only Mobile Haro could manage that.
She glances over toward Ruri - does she need to save her from whoever that is? - but is a bit far away to pull that one off, and she's been introduced to someone else. Rena indicates her, and she twirls in place, posing with a bit of stiffness from the flared shoulders of the Mobile Haro costume.
"Hi, Banagher!" Riika says, from inside. "I suppose it's not a surprise *you're* here... and you brought Leina too. I'm glad to see you again; it's been a while! I asked Banagher to pass on a message, but I haven't seen you since Tsutsujidai..."
Before it 'went missing'.
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
Harro's struggles in navigating the world are swiftly amended by Yurika letting out a brief 'yoisho', pulling the little discount creature into her arms, and keeping it there while its eyes light up and a tinny *bwee* *bu-bap* *deedle-dee* whine from a little speaker on its chin.
"There we go, up up. Honestly in this sort of place, I'd worry about someone stepping on this! I guess stepping on any Haro has issues, but most of these things are so hard and bouncy and indestructible. Oh right, I wonder if Kamille Bidan is anywhere here - he has a Haro that took a bullet for him, if I'm not mistaken!"
"Also, Ruri-ruriiIIIIIII you're so CUTE up there oh GOSH-!" Yurika's bent waaaay down forward, hands on her knees, giving her technical advisor the biggest beamingest-smile of all. She has to resist the urge to just start, like, squishing Ruri's cheeks and fluffing at her twintails and all that stuff, because she knows Ruri gets grumpy at that! But you can see it in her eyes. She would carry Ruri around like a cat for the entire convention.
"And it's really important that ~love can blossom~ on a difficult environment light a spaceship! We could find ourselves traveling for months - years, even! If we were all held back with thoughts of our love that can't be expressed, we'd explode out there! One day you'll understand!"
Yurika does take the bold step of giving Anita a firm shake on the Harohand, and a thumbs-up with the other one - "Ahahaha, you went all out on this! It's a super cool way to make use of this sort of tech! Gosh, it's actually really well made too, you could really slug someone out cold with this!"
Arms are a-waving at Eight demonstrating the macronization chamber - the captain getting up on her tippy toes to make sure she's seen amongst the crowd, though she knows it's ~convention etiquette~ to be too attention grabbing during someone's presentation! Instead, she quickly absconds with a Haro-scooter and gets herself a pile of pancakes in various colors of the rainbow, passing two out to her pals of the Ra Mari, then to their pals - in particular, three sets of MazinHaro-shaped ones (the Haro details are a little lost amidst the mazinger ones) to the Photon Power League. "Hi hiiii, I've never stopped by to see Mazinger Z in person, but I do appreciate everything you all do! Let's ~brighten up the world together~!"
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Naoko gives Rena an incredulous look when she catches that comment to Anita. "Seriously, you don't know about combat Haros? Haros are incredible co-pilots! With the proper interface, they can automate and monitor a ton of things so you can keep your own focus on just moving and pulling the trigger!"
She should know. That's what her own setup is like, even if it's not Haros she's using. Not that this is something she's advertised at all. Moving on...
"Planned? Planned?" She laughs exaggeratedly at Riika's word choice. "My Haro friend, you don't get to be a Miracle Worker by making plans. You just gotta start doing something and see where it goes!" That sure has been how she's been doing everything, including piloting. It's worked for her so far, so why change it up now?
She fails to actually live up to being much of a tour guide because she gets distracted by Anita's arm, studying it with a hand on her chin. "It's so well-made, though. To have it be shaped like this, and still let you actually have a hand that can move like that... I wonder if mods for actual Haros to have that level of articulation even exist."
She's just starting to feel a little inspired, when Bunny Yurika bounds right into the middle of their group and draws all of her attention, prompting her to just... stare for a moment. Then she pieces together the words that are being spoken, and... "W-wait. Is this... is this seriously the captain of the Nadesico?" Undoubtedly a reaction that people are used to by now.
Yeah, the tour guide bit has definitely been derailed by all the excitement. Clearing her throat, she makes the effort to salvage this at least a little bit. "A-anyway! When you're at HaroCon, what you really gotta go see is all the merchandise, obviously. There's tons of vendors with all the Haro-related goods you could possibly want! And on that note, excuse me!"
Aaand off she goes. Whatever kind of tour guide she might have fashioned herself, she is still a congoer herself too, and she needs those parts she was after. Knowing exactly what she wants, her shopping bag quickly fills up with all sorts of loose Haro components, involving just about everything you need to build an entire Haro aside from its AI. ...yes, of course the shell she got is black and she has some modifications to make the eyes a more threatening triangular shape, why do you ask?
She is distracted away from her shopping spree by seeing a familiar face hugging a giant Haro. That one needs a double-take for sure. And a point, and a gawk. "E-eight? Is that really Eight over there??" She's still pretty new around the Ra Mari crew, this is a whole new side of the captain she's seeing here. Gosh, before now she always pictured ship captains as being permanently Too Busy to do anything but managing their ships. But here they are at HaroCon, doing Cosplay and Haro hugging demonstrations. Truly there is much to this world she was unaware of...
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
HaroCon! HaroCon!
Koji's always been deeply fond of the Roundest Friend in the Earth Sphere (he got started on engineering with a second-hand Haro he picked up in a junk shop in '81), so being asked to hold a guest panel was a genuine delight. Plus it was an opportunity to show off some of the utility and engineering specced 'MazinHaros' used by the Photon Power Lab in tight maintenance conditions.
Sayaka and LiSA will be here today, and that's a different kind of delight entirely.
Koji was running a little late, but he's here now. After a quick sequence of VERTEXes, he manages to track them down, lifting that ancient Haro - named Maru, by Shiro, because it is A Circle, and clumsily painted red with black stripes, covered in scuffs and dents that have never been properly buffed out - up to help him spot the two - and the bunnysuit-clad woman offering them pancakes.
Joining the two, he waits for Yurika's spirited introduction and lets Sayaka, as the actual Research Institute head, handle the greeting, before bowing quickly to Yurika. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Captain Misumaru. Your friendship is very much appreciated." Pleasantries thus exchanged, he turns to Sayaka and LiSA, favouring them with a broad smile as he ruffles LiSA's silvery-blue hair. "Fancy meeting you two here~," he remarks cheerfully as Maru rocks in his arms, speaking through a tinny, crackling speaker. "saya...ka! saya...ka!"
He pats the old Haro and after a moment of rotating internal mounts it deploys Pilder-style flight rotors from its lower flaps, settling into a flight pattern just above his and Sayaka's heads. "Where were you thinking of starting?" he asks the ladies - though LiSA is likely the one taking the lead with her answer.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"I didn't tell him to say that, I promise!" Banagher laughs. "You're just too wonderful, even Haros aren't immune."
Even though the Haro beanie was meant as a joke gift to obscure the real one, Banagher still feels a warm sense of happiness to see Leina wear it. Maybe he should pick up one of his own.
"Giovanni! Giovanni!" Haro calls to his perhaps best Haro-friend. "Valiant! Smart!"
Despite how pretty said bunnygirl is, Banagher doesn't look at her too long. He's here with his own girlfriend, after all. "Yeah, I don't get it. She looks nice, though."
A wave is offered to Rena and Anita. "It's good to see you two. Welcome to HaroCon! If you need help finding anything, Leina and I are pros by now." Riika's outfit is shown off, and Banagher claps -- Haro quickly mirroring the action. "Your costume is incredible, Riika! Even more up close."
At the mention of a Photon-powered Haro, Banagher laughs nervously, suddenly looking away. Looks like Koji's in for a lecture...
"Window shopping is fun!" Banagher jumps onto a changed topic. "Maybe you can help me decide on some materials? I need something soft enough to not hurt a baby, but breathable enough to not overheat the Haro. It's like a costume for a stage play!"
"I didn't even think of asking Lavhi... I'll do that. I thought he'd be busy with a million other things preparing for the baby." Banagher admits. "Babies seem pretty scary."
"Miss Sayaka!" Banagher greets, as the woman's voice reaches them. "It's good to see you too. Koji encouraged us to do fun things, so, here we are." A little squeeze to Leina's hand. He knows this is hard for her. "Let's sit together for Koji's panel."
LiSA appears -- notably Haro-less. Banagher goes on the attack! "LiSA, I'm glad you made it. You have got to get a Haro! They'd be fantastic for learning about the world and the best friend anyone could ask for, too. You can customize them however you like -- you'll see, at Koji's panel!"
Banagher's Haro is held forward. "Haro, say hello to LiSA, please."
"LiSA! LiSA!" Haro chimes, suddenly extending a spindly arm toward the young woman. "Handshake! Handshake!"
After all this time, Banagher still flushes soft red when Leina kisses him. He gives her a starry-eyed smile. This beautiful, brilliant, wonderful woman wants to be by his side. It hits him all over again.
Don't cry. Don't cry.
Clearing his throat, Banagher keeps it together. "Let's keep going. There's so many good things ahead!"
Including Eight and Lavhi! They look a little busy, but Banagher gives them a friendly wave. "Hey Eight, Lavhi!"
Merch stretches on for as far as the eye can see. More merch than anyone could ever bear witness to... Even all of Banagher's visits haven't been enough to see everything. He makes his way to the component section, happily sorting through next-gen chips.
"We've got to find the best for Eight's baby..." Banagher murmurs. Haro assists, holding the items his companion purchases.
Eventually, he's satisfied with his choices. Banagher's wanderings have brought him to Domon's booth. With a sympathetic look, the young man drops a generous amount of money into the tip jar.
Leina knows that guy, right? The Shuffle Alliance pays well, so why is he in this state..?
At last, Banagher comes upon the Haro beanie stall. With a smile, he buys one in bright pink. It takes a moment to settle it on top of his fluffy hair, but once he does, he turns to face Leina. A silly grin covers his face. "What do you think? I've got everything I needed, now. How about you, love?"
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"We're in the right place for nerdy. It's fine." Anita points out with a smile toward Rena.
It turns out, there are yet more familiar faces here. Anita turns around spotting Leina and Banagher. With a grin, they too receive a wave.
"Hey there, you two." She greets, and then chuckles. "Yeah, a lot of us were interesting in going, so... Might as well stick together, right?"
Rena motions her way, and Anita nods with a grin.
"Definitely had to go." She agrees. She looks off into the distance, then, where she spots Ruri and friends. Harro is... getting into trouble, it looks like. She chuckles, just slightly.
"Hey, Ruri, Archimedes, Harro. Glad you could make it." She greets. The wing panels of the Haro in her arms flap excitedly.
"Friends! Friends!" It greets.
Riika likes her arm and asks if she made it herself and Anita nods, raising it so she can get a better look.
"It's kinda half-and-half - some of 'em I make myself, others I custom-order. Depends on how in-depth the project is. This one, though, is an Anita Rosetta Original." Anita explains, and offers Naoko an appreciative nod. "Thanks - it wasn't easy to figure it out while still keeping the general form factor intact. And, y'know... I bet you could, but it make take a little figuring out to get everything you need in at that size."
As for Naoko's reaction to Yurika...
"That's her alright." Anita says fondly. What can she say? The Nadesico amuses her.
Up ahead, though, is a Haro for whom that wouldn't be a problem at all - and, one accompanied by a pair of familiar faces!
"Hey there Lavhi, Eight - how's the presentation goin'?" Anita greets with a smile and a wave. The giant Haro is, of course, a fascinating marvel. It's an emblem of how Haro is truly for everyone, no matter how big or small. She whistles appreciatively, before looking at back at Eight and Lavhi. "Won't keep you from your work for long. Good luck with the rest of the day! Lemme know if you need one of us to run you some drinks."
She continues, stopping by the pancake stand with interest. She looks down at the Haro companion next to her, then back up...
...And soon enough, she has a plate of pancakes specially made to resemble her everpresent friend. She makes her way through them in short order... and may, if she's feeling amenable, offer to feed Rena some.
Eventually, she finds her way to the Sheryl Nome booth. She knows Rena's a big fan...
"...I didn't know they made Sheryl-themed Haro merch... See anything you like?" Anita asks, curious.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"I dunno, you might have been training him for months under my nose." Leina teases Banagher, before waving back and Rena and Annie. "Sounds like the perfect date location for you and Annie then~ Have it all planned out or being a bit impulsive?"
Whirling around, Leina grins at Sayaka, "Sayaka! God! Good to see you! Are you here to keep Koji in line?" As she then turns over to LiSA, "Hey LiSA! Meet Giovanni!"
As the blue-violet Haro immediately flaps within her arms, "Good morrow LiSA! Good morrow!" Leina then winks at her, "I hope your day hasn't been too... Haro-wing!"
Oh no. Sayaka might remember in these moments one of the reasons why it isn't wise to keep Leina and LiSA together for too long.
"Want to join us for some browsing?"
She asks, as the crowd flows into the vendor hall and once there. Leina finds herself amazed at the scooters zooming around. She too waves to Eight and Lavhi as she murmurs to Banagher, "Agreed. Any ideas? I'm not sure if they have a Haro baby blanket around..." When Banagher clinks a coin into the tip jar she finds herself staring at the table of Gundam Fighter merchandise h er eyes wander to the tip jar.
Leina fishes her phone out of her bag and starts typing.
[VERTEX] theater_girl_wp: DOMON *picture of the Harocon booth*
[VERTEX] theater_girl_wp: u literally get paid command wages!!!!
[VERTEX] theater_girl_wp: i dont know whats worse the idea that u might be part of some scam or the idea that RAIN handles everything because u can't be bothered to visit an atm
[VERTEX] theater_girl_wp: wait
[VERTEX] theater_girl_wp: IS THIS WHY U KNOCK OVER VENDING MACHINES BECAUSE OF 50 YEN????
[VERTEX] theater_girl_wp: because u let a TIP JAR and bad merch fund ur martial arts hobo lifestyle
[VERTEX] theater_girl_wp: domon PLS
[VERTEX] theater_girl_wp: im telling Rain!!!
As Riika comes over, her eyes light up, "Oh its you Riika! I'm so relieved you're okay, I got worried when I wasn't able to contact you after our conversation. How have you been?"
In the end Banagher asks if she's got everything she needs, and she tries her hardest not to look at the Sheryl Nome stall.
Instead she taps her beanie, causing it to flap, "I think I've got all I need right here." She says, and Banagher earns himself another kiss on the cheek.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri hands Harro to Yurika's protection without complaint, which, if anything, is the best sign of how much she trusts the Captain.
She does, however, scowl at her praise. "Fool," she grumbles, face all red. She's not cute..!!!
She is, however, happy to see her friends. "Hello, everyone," Big Sis Ruri bows, politely, to the Ra Mari II contingent... and Riika! "I like your costume," she asides, to her, specifically. Her attention is quickly commanded by --
Giant Haro.
"Hello, Lavnadim-san, Eight-san," Ruri greets them, with that little extra wedge of formality borrowed from Japanese. (She's bilingual, you see.) "Can I... see the Haro?"
She clambers up, and stands in front of Giant Haro. "Hello," she says, to him, and says more through a link only they understand.
Lo, Ruri looks up at the Giant Haro...
... and gives it a hug.
ATTENTION: RURI HAS HUGGED THE GIANT HARO.
"I want to be big! Big!" Archimedes insists, flapping her wings. "I'll roll over everyone! No bossy! No bossy!" Archimedes and Erina, you see... don't get along.
"Um... I don't think that's a very good idea," Ruri says, straightening up. "Good luck," she tells Eight and Lahvi, and takes Archimedes and hurries off.
(Of course she stops at the Sheryl merch stand, though. Archimedes gets a very fine Sheryl sticker she admires while they're there!)
<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.
Riika does indeed look down - well, up - at Anita's arm. She leans in a little forward for a better look. "It must have taken a while. I'm not really experienced at making useful things at that scale - I could design a MS arm, or this kind of arm," and she stretches out her own 'armoured' limb, "but I've never done cybernetics."
"Thanks!" is Riika's response to Ruri. "It's good to see you again, too... It has been a while." Even though Ruri can't really see her in there. AND they both work with the Three Ships Alliance, so it shouldn't be as hard as it ends up being sometimes.
But she is less interesting than Giant Haro, and honestly, Riika is okay with that. She'd think the same thing, especially at Ruri's age - and while Ruri is a technical master of a warship that Riika has been on both as 'guest' and as guest, she's also about - what, twelve? thirteen? - and it's nice to see her acting it. Under her helmet, Riika smiles.
"I have - well, it's been kind of complicated," Riika admits to Leina, with a bit of a laugh. "What with... everything. But I'm doing better these days. I'm not with ZAFT any longer, but... if you want to talk sometime, we should, but probably not at a place like this. About some of the things you said before, with the PLANTs. I think they'd be more interested in listening now."
She's not going to grab Leina for work *today*. That's rude. Worse: it's being a jerk!
Riika grins at Banagher under her helmet, not that he can see it. "Did you see the mist?" she asks, causing another puff to come out of the 'exhaust tubes'. "I can't carry a whole lot of the misting agent, but it's pretty cool while it works."
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Sayaka manages a wave Rena's way - she's aware that it's not every day you see the likes of Sayaka Yumi and Koji Kabuto out in the public, but she does have a tendency to remember people she fights alongside. She came by to defend the lab when few could, and that means a lot.
It's also not everyday you're approached by a bunnysuit wearing captain of a massive battleship, but Sayaka also makes a formal bow out of appreciation for the very tasty-looking pancakes and kind words. "Likewise, Captain Misumaru, as fellow independents, we have a lot of respect for you and your own work on the Nadesico. So.. let's keep up the good work, shall we?" Sayaka grins.. Even if she no longer has the same boundless energy as Yurika, it's still good to exchange words.
And then Koji arrives! "Well, isn't that a surprise~" Sayaka beams, taking Koji's hand into hers and squeezing it. A clear romantic gesture which is sure to make Leina studiously take notes. The free hand is used to pat Maru, the adorable Haro. "Well hello there, little guy."
As for the pun crimes occurring between Leina and LiSA... an audibly loud groan can be heard from Sayaka. As for Koji's question as to where to go next, Sayaka considers helping a Domon in need... but she knows Rain would tell her he's actually WAY better off that it seems. So instead, she follows the lead of LiSA and Leina, and turns to Koji and Banagher. "Let's make it a double date of sorts then, why don't we?" And then looks back to LiSA. "...Plus one."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena glances sideways at Anita, then grins sheepishly. This is, after all, the right place for nerdy.
"Sure!" Rena says to Riika. "I'd love to see them. I don't really have the brain for the engineering part, so... I've never designed a costume." She was better at programming and computers, but that has only questionable use for cosplay.
Then, she looks at Naoko, and wrinkles her nose. "But... don't Haros get sad if they have to fight?"
She cracks a smile at Bunny Yurika -- and looks sideways at Anita, flashing a grin at her. Which is when she catches that Naoko took off. "Ah--hope she'll be okay..."
It's hard for Rena to not notice the macronized area. She looks for a moment -- and then waves at Lahvi and Eight, both -- and she beams t them for a moment. "Octo! Lahvi!" she says. She gives them a thumbs-up. "Good work...!"
Now, granted, she doesn't want to distract them too much.
"You both look great!" she says, with a grin.
"We're just kinda doing whatever comes to mind!" Rena says to Leina, flashing her a sheepish grin. "And, um, helping Riika with the outfit! Not that she... needs it, but..."
Rena heard it helped to have someone be a spotter, sometimes.
After a little while, Rena ends up at the Sheryl Nome-themed booth with Anita. Her brown eyes widen -- and maybe fill with sparkles -- at all of the merchandise. "Aaaah, where to start!" she says. "I love the plating for a custom Haro... maybe I should get one? This one looks like her outfit, from the videos..."
Then, she laughs, and picks up a microphone.
"And look! A Haro-sized mic!" she says. "This would be great! Maybe I should get a Haro to go with it, too."
Though, she looks at Archimedes...
...maybe one that isn't quite like that. It's not quite Rena's speed.
<Pose Tracker> Rakshata Chawla has posed.
One of the scooters flits past the knot of people standing in the hall, with a colorful vision on the back. Someone screams in surprise.
But not pain!
Not yet.
A few minutes later the scooter comes back in the other direction - probably about the time people are in the throes of conversation. It decelerates with a 'haro, haro' of warning and comes to a halt directly behind the group, which you would think would mean the rider would be looking at something or perhaps stepping off to talk to a vendor. Instead:
A hand reaches up to tap-tap-tap on the shoulder joint of the mysterious Mobile Haro. "Excuse me," Rakshata says at it (them? Riika) "Where did you get this suit? It's very important. I like it very much." She looks past Riika, towards Leina, towards Banagher.
Rakshata has no idea who they are. "Are you with them?" she asks them, even so...
<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.
"Oh!" LiSA exclaims in delight when they all make it into the vendor hall. This is her first HaroCon! This is her first convention ever, really! Yes, LiSA sentences practically deserve to end in exclamation marks. Her gaze drifts over from the Sheryl zone, to the Domon zone, to the pancakes, over to the sellers, to the pancakes, to the modifiers, to the Mazin pancakes that Yurika has passed out, to-- "Master!"
Maru is respectfully greeted with a gentle pat. LiSA is familiar with the beloved Kabuto-household Haro at least, who has had to survive three rounds of adopted brothers, at least three of which have their oddities. Wait... She does look at Banagher-Haro as her name is chimed, and she gently takes the spindly arm in a good attempt at a handshake. "Hello, Haro!" LiSA exclaims in that same delight, followed by a return of, "A good morrow to you, Giovanni!"
LiSA is surrounded by round friends.
She is thriving.
"It's not haro-wing! It's a show of haroics!" Heroics, get it? Sorry, Sayaka. "Can I get one, Master? To help Maru!" A pause.
"Can I ... haro a dollar?" Borrow... Oh my god, Sorry Sayaka.
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"Hi there," Eight answers when people come back, and Lavhi from high above notices Eight talking with someone and booms, "Greetings, friends!"
She waves at Yurika, to! And then when Naoko double-takes and gawks at her, Eight laughs, waving her way too. She is dressed out of uniform, obviously; she seems to be having fun anyway.
"Nice to see you," she says to Banagher, though at this moment Lavhi is busy fielding a question from someone Macronized.
"It's going great!" Eight says to Annie, "Though Lavhi's doing the hard part. I just have to make the Haro look good. And that's not hard, right? I'm thinking of trying one after all..."
She beams back. "Will do," she says. "Hope you have fun!"
But Ruri greets them in that formality. "You may," Eight says, and Lavhi peers down to confirm, "Please do!"
"HARO!" says the giant Haro. "HARO..."
Hug happens. Eight stares for a moment. Then she leans on the Haro. Is she... tearing up?
Of course not. That would be silly. Nevermind that she glances away quickly, "T-thanks!"
"Rena!" Eight answers then, and quickly turns back from wiping her eyes. "Thanks!! <3" Can Eight pronounce a heart? Apparently she can, when it comes to Rena. Lavhi, too, beams at Rena. "Why, thank you."
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
After a likely-exhausting journey through the merch hall, an informative panel must seem appealing. If not for the discussion, for the padded chairs waiting in lines in each room. Food and drink are allowed, as long as they don't become disruptive.
Dozens of smaller panels are in session, or soon to be, but three large rooms may be the most comfortable to rest in. Or perhaps the most informative, depending on one's perspective. Helpful signs inform which room hosts which presenter.
To the right: Dr. Koji Kabuto, Technical Panel
To the left: thelastHaro of Haroics, Enrichment Panel
Straight ahead: Rin Starking, Modding Panel
The Technical Panel of HaroCon 0097 is less full than the Enrichment Panel (about a third of the seats are full), but everyone here looks pretty intent - if not on the subject matter, then on the man giving the presentation, a legendary Earth Sphere hero who was specially approached by the convention organizers this year.
Doctor Koji Kabuto, Head of the Photon Power Research Institute's Experimental Development department, is making a couple of last-minute adjustments to a Haro on the desk as the last stragglers file in, tightening the hinge of its left-side upper flap. The Haro itself is a glossy black with bright LEDs and yellow lenses set in its eyes and split-V wing-like panels installed on the front of its lower hemisphere; an aesthetic choice that is clearly evoking the iconic styling of Mazinger Z. Doctor Kabuto himself is dressed for business - his blue suit, Research Institute pin on its lapel, complete with pale lilac shirt and red tie, a HaroCon Guest Speaker lanyard around his neck.
Checking his watch and the clock, Koji clears his throat, watching the assembled sit up. "Welcome to the HaroCon '97 Technical Panel, everyone. Today I'd like to talk about customizing our Roundest Friends and how installing new modules can fundamentally alter the options they provide for you."
He picks up the glossy black Mazin-Haro Z, supporting it in one hand. "The basic Haro chassis is incredibly customizable," he begins, pulling out a control dial for the room lighting, "from body mods to internal functionality, a single Haro can support a number of augmentations, be they for entertainment and play, leisure and comfort, or for supporting the needs of the disabled."
He dims the lights and points the Mazin-Haro Z at the wall, tapping the top. Its eyes light up, shining a clean flashlight beam on the wall before Koji brings the lights back up and turns the beam off. "Thank you, Haro," he says to the spherical droid, which flaps and chirps "You're welcome, Koji! You're welcome!"
"The first concern you have when adding a feature to your Haro should be the demands that feature adds to its power draw. The internal PSU, much like a personal computer's, should be able to supply the functions of your Haro with a safety margin of at least an extra 50% for improved life expectancy; you can dip into this margin with additional features, but it is recommended to consider upsizing the output of the PSU for best results."
"The alternative, of course," he continues, "is to optimize the internal mechanisms of your Haro so that they draw less power to operate. Regular maintenance of the gears and axles is crucial for keeping its motions and systems as efficient as possible..." He proceeds by going over the best practices for maintenance and a bunch of recommendations for tool use, interspersing his topics by demonstrating additional features installed in Mazin-Haro Z - extendable rotor fins from the lower flaps to allow it to hover, and a space heater effect emitted from the installed chest array.
His introductory speech done, Doctor Kabuto looks around the assembled in the room. "Does anyone have any questions?"
Almost everyone in the room puts their hands up.
"... Questions about Haros, not Doctor Hell."
Almost every raised hand goes back down. Koji sighs, but it's a sigh tempered by a wry smirk. "I see."
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Yeah, I'd been working on this for a while? But, hey. Me, I can do repairs on my unit if I need to, but if I want anything designed, I gotta go to experts like you. We've all got our niche." Anita replies to Riika with an encouraging smile.
She grins, then, at Leina.
"You know it." She confirms, of it being the perfect date location. "We're kinda winging it, but we've got Nova here to help point us toward the coolest spots."
She gestures toward Naoko as she says this, and offers Banagher a smile.
"Yeah, it's great seein' you two. We should be good, but if you've got any suggestions for places to visit, I'd be glad to hear it."
"Glad to hear." Anita says to Eight, and then grins. "Sounds pretty cozy. And... I think that'd be great."
At the Sheryl merch...
Anita can't help but grin as she sees Rena so excited by everything on display.
"It's really cute. I say go for it - I can give you a hand if you need help setting anything up." Anita offers with a smile. Working on a Haro project with her girlfriend does sound pretty appealing...
She looks back, then, toward the Giant Haro... where she can't help but smile as she spots Ruri giving it a hug. Archimedes wants to be big too, and Anita frankly supports her.
It's time to move on, though - and the nearest attraction is an informative panel headed up by none other than Koji Kabuto! Anita listens intently, holding her Haro up so it can get a clear view. It might be recording, too - this is one she'll definitely want to consult later.
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Banagher notices the Sheryl Nome stall. "Oh, Leina!" He pulls her over to it, a familiar fervor in his eyes -- the same that possessed the young man to race and buy full sets of jewelry for the women in his life at a concert.
"One of everything, please." Banagher says, as he did once before. "Oh -- Leina, do you want another Haro? This one's a special edition, it probably won't come out again! Maybe Giovanni could use a sister?" He sounds hopeful. "...let's just get it! If you wind up not wanting it, I'm sure there's lots of Sheryl fans who couldn't make it to HaroCon."
The two leave Sheryl's booth either carrying a new friend and an armful of merch. Banagher has nothing to spend money on but his girls, really. He's not going to miss a chance to spoil Leina.
And, of course, he's happy to carry the bags. A true gentleman!
Once they meet back up with the others, the young pilot smiles. "A double date sounds perfect. Plus one." Banagher holds Haro up. "Or more."
"Panel! Panel!" Haro says, with a ringing sound. "It's time! It's time!"
"Oh, we need to get going." Banagher says, leading the way toward Koji's panel. He knows the way -- it's right next to where his own panel took place.
As the arrive, Banagher takes a seat in the front row. Haro perches on his lap, and the many, many bags take up space around his feet.
"Koji!" Haro greets, before Banagher shushes him. Both companions seem interested in the Mazinger Z Haro, Banagher pulling out his datapad and scribbling notes near-immediately.
"Doctor Kabuto," Banagher says, after raising his hand and being called on. "What parts would you recommend for a Haro with a primary function of caring for an infant? Would it be more important to focus on battery life, or functional variety?"
<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.
"Some of the other designs need more help than this one," Riika admits to Rena. "Either way, I can't exactly look behind me right now..." There's a whole pipe array in the way, if she can even twist her shoulders that far when they're in the Haro body.
Rakshata comes up to her. Riika doesn't know her, but that doesn't mean a whole lot - there are a lot of people here she doesn't know. She doesn't actually feel the tapping very clearly through the shoulderplate, but she turns to look up at Rakshata anyway - it's a fair way up. Rakshata is tall. Riika is... not.
"I know them, but I came with some other friends." The Ra Mari II crew, rather than Banagher and Leina - she's not surprised to see them here, but Riika didn't come with them. "And I actually built it," she says. "I could tell you where I got some of the materials, but most of them don't really look anything like the Mobile Haro suit. Except, I suppose, the underlayer bodysuit..." Riika sounds a little apologetic, but at the same time a little proud about putting it together. "I do know of a few costuming places that might be able to help if you're interested in that sort of thing...?"
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
Yurika spends...a while. Staring. Mesmerized. Transfixed.
...By the sheer size of the Huge Haro that Ruri is hugging.
It is as though the cosmos itself is running through her mind. Her every thought wildly expanding. Awe-struck and transfixed.
Her only utterance for a distracting period of time is...
"...wow...I hope it doesn't...pulverize people like that one movie..."
A few people try waving their arms in front of her, but her stare is unbroken.
<Pose Tracker> Rakshata Chawla has posed.
Rakshata looks downwards towards the heavily equipped form of the costume before her, which is in fact cunningly designed material on a short woman, not some kind of autonomous mobile Haronoid. Rakshata raises her pipe to her lips, arms folding. Riika is probably in shot of some jealousy.
"Did you say underlayer body suit?"
Rakshata leans down to get eye-to-eyehole with the Mobile Haro. "Show me."
Rakshata does not get off the scooter, which adds three inches to her height, during the journey.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"You're relying on Nova for that huh?" She grins at Annie, "I'll have to ask her for some pointers then, but yeah, a double date sounds pretty fun."
She certainly seems cheerful enough, but she's walled off pretty well psychically right now...
... maybe she's trying hard not be a downer.
Leina's eyes instantly light up at LiSA's counterpun! "Is she a forum member?" Leina whispers to Banagher, "You should invite her if she isn't!"
Rakshata gets an eye from her, "We're friendly acquaintances. Are you a big cosplayer?" As she sorta glances her over, before smiling towards Riika, "Well it was good to see y-"
YOINK
Suddenly Banagher has her right at the Sheryl booth, "N-Now hold on a minute Banagher.... ONE OF EVERYTHING!?" She gawks at him, "Wait just a second! You shouldn't treat a merchandise booth like Judau treats a menu!"
She's about to launch into a lecture, but the look in his eyes, there's a sigh of exasperation, and a smile as she lays the back of her wrist against her hip. After all, the idea of having another Haro does appeal to her, "... Okay. Alright. Let's just keep the price tag reasonable, okay?"
As she reaches up that hand and ruffles his hair, "I know you have a salary now but I don't want you eating out of vending machines again just because you went all out."
Into the technical panel they go, with one new not yet activated friend whom she's considering naming Campanella, and Leina finds a seat next to Banagher, resting Giovanni on her lap.
It responds to the appearance of Koji's Mazin-Haro Z in short order, "O God! O God! Would I were a Devil!" Leina pats him, and puts a finger to her lips as if to shhh him a little.
She too, sighs along with Koji on the Dr. Hell part, but, in the end, she smiles at Banagher's enthusiasm over the technical panel.
Even if she didn't understand most of that, she enjoys seeing him like this at least.
When he brings up infant care though, Leina SNERKS, and Koji will see her trying her hardest not to just, start laughing over his answer.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
"They'll gladly fight if they want to protect their owner!" are the words Naoko leaves Rena with before she dashes off. If she knows her AI - and she does - the bonds they can form are very real and powerful. Who wouldn't fight to protect those they feel a bond with? Not at all hard to identify with, it's pretty much her main reason, too.
Following her quick shopping spree and reuniting with the Ra Mari group that includes Rena and Anita, she returns Eight's wave a bit awkwardly, not sure what to say. What could she really say? 'Nice to see you doing something fun?' That'd be implying Eight doesn't know how to do things for fun! Never mind that this was exactly Naoko's worldview for ship captains up until today. But, the first part of that thought'll work, as she finally responds, "Nice to see you!"
She sticks around long enough to behold Ruri's Haro-hug, which she can't help but smile at. It's wonderful to see that people of all ages feel this way about AI companions. She'd heard stories, but it's different actually seeing it. Sure makes her feel like less of a weirdo.
Then her phone beeps an alert, and she immediately starts shouting like a weirdo. "Hey, everyone! The Technical Panel is about to start! The real, actual Koji Kabuto is gonna be there, you don't want to miss this!" She absolutely does not, anyway, rushing off ahead regardless of what anyone else decides to do.
She's there pretty early, that and the fact that it's on the quiet side (what's wrong with people??) enables her to snag a seat that's still pretty near the front. She's fangirling pretty visibly, though she keeps herself quiet, not wanting to embarrass herself in front of the Koji Kabuto. Of course she's a fan of the well-known hero from her homeland. Not to mention the topic, she eats all of that up like the gearhead she is.
Does she have questions at the end? Of course, she has a million of them! All of them better than what she actually ends up doing.
"Rock-et Punch! Rock-et Punch!", she starts the chant, quietly at first, but gaining in volume when she gets some people to go along with it. Come on now, that Haro needs to have a Rocket Punch, right? That's what everybody here wants to see! Listen to the fans, Koji!
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
...Okay, Sayaka can't even be mad at LiSA for that one. She's happy to see her thriving more than anything, and she really is adorable when she's having fun.
The group then makes their way over to the technical panel, as it's time for Koji Kabuto, in his capacity as Dr. Kabuto to host. Sayaka watches attentively as Koji seems to completely transform to his research persona, although not without the charming Mazinger Z-themed Haro.
It is genuinely interesting stuff, and the practical applications of the Haro are not lost on her. ...And besides, they make such cute companions, don't they? She can definitely see why a growing girl learning about the world like LiSA would be so attached.
When it's time for questions, Sayaka does not raise her hand... she has many questions for Koji at all times of course, but none of them are particularly Haro-related. Nor is she very interested in thinking about Dr. Hell's schemes at the moment. Once all those the hands lower and those eyes avert from Koji, she can feel them coming for her next. Which just means her posture further relaxes, which makes a statement of "you can't bother me with that, I'm here to enjoy myself".
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri files into the Technical Panel with her usual :| demeanour. Don't let it fool you: this is the presentation she's most excited about. She holds Archimedes on her lap, and the silver Haro flaps her wings as she listens... in time with Ruri kicking her legs under the chair.
"Excuse me," her hand stayed up, you see. "What would you define as the minimum computational requirements to promote a Haro's wellbeing and mental development? I think it's important to establish for everyone what power requirements a Haro needs to thrive mentally, too."
Aww, she thinks her Haro is people! She is thirteen, so she's probably still young enough for that...
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
Rena can hear -- maybe see -- the heart in Eight's words. Her cheeks flush red as Eight says that. "O-Octo," she says, with a sigh. Then, she smiles, and waves a hand at her and Lahvi.
"Keep up the good work...!"
She looks back at Riika -- and then she grins at her, for a moment. "Mm-hm!" she says. "I can help with those. Now I'm curious about the designs..."
At the Sheryl merchandise booth, Rena looks sideways at Anita. Then, she grins, and nods. "S-Sure, all right! I'll need your help with that," she says. She can probably write computer programs for them, though. She might need to work at understanding the OS, but...
"I'll take these!"
And thus, in the Koji Kabuto panel, Rena is sitting with a bag full of Sheryl-themed merchandise. She looks at Naoko, hesitates, and then she raises a hand.
After Dr. Hell.
"Um--" She hesitates. "--Do you think it's possible to optimize the Haro's OS to regulate power draw through software, so you can provide more and less power to key features? Or would the increased processing power necessary make that pointless?"
Her brow furrows. "I'm not sure if you can give them more memory or--"
<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.
"Some of them have bigger back or side projections," Riika explains to Rena. "Or I can't move my head as far. At least Haro spins!" Well, it turns to an extent, anyway.
Riika, who is trying to save money, does not descend on the Sheryl Nome Haro stand like a pack of vultures, or even one singular vulture, though she does have some interest in the floor in general. There are a few things she needs, now that she has a Haro... or at least, will have a Haro, she doesn't really have it activated yet. And, whoops, there goes Leina! "You can call me later!" she calls after her, as Banagher absconds with Leina.
But she will answer Rakshata, first. Riika tugs at the bodysuit she has that's covering her upper and lower arms, the green-grey that the torso also is. "This. I suppose I could wear it without but I wouldn't have sleeves. Are you looking to get into cosplay, miss...?"
Riika could talk about cosplay all day! She won't interrupt a panel to do it, but she absolutely *could* talk for that long.
<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.
Having put in the idea (and seemingly gotten approval from her parents- er, Administrator and Director) she could get her own FUNCTIONAL, ROUND, LOVING COMPANION, Sayaka nearly has to drag LiSA away from the purchase tables.
However, it is the warning about panel from Banagher's helpful round buddy that drags her back to the group, where she quietly follows Sayaka to a seat next to her in the front. If she can, she will claim Maru from Koji to hold while he's being all science-y. Yes, gaze at this strange girl following Koji and Sayaka around like she's their small child. She has no questions.
She knows where Koji sleeps, she can ask him later.
<Pose Tracker> Rakshata Chawla has posed.
Rakshata looks at Leina. "I'd say I'm more of a costume appreciator," she replies.
AT THE SHERYL BOOTH:
Rakshata chews on the mouthpiece of her pipe a little while considering the merchandise skeptically. "My problem," she says, "is that I have someone who's very introverted who is tangential to my life, and I think a new change of attire would really cheer them up. Do you have any advice on how to get someone who *isn't* yourself into cosplay?"
To Riika, Rakshata asks, in a lower tone of voice, "I'm prepared to pay a reasonable sum."
AT THE KOJI KABUTO PANEL
Rakshata, who drove the scooter in and has been sitting on it with her knees spread like a hoodlum, raises her hand and pipe up for attention. "Ye-es," she calls out, "Tell me, how exactly do you handle a voltage regulation problem with spikes and a fixed power cell when you're seeing very heavy use? A lot of these accessories must eat battery like so many papadums, and I'd like to know what you recommend. Software control? Energy filler conversion? Solar paint?"
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
"Oh, right. Panel." Koji did you forget (he was about to). "Afterwards, then!"
Being up on the podium and seeing so many people he knows choose to attend - even if he's gone on Haro-related tangents around Sayaka before, it's good for him to see her here supporting him - is a good feeling for Koji, even despite the vague disappointment in people still wanting to talk to him about Hell even after all these years. Such is the life of a veteran.
However! There are actual questions! And they're good ones, too. Koji beams.
First: Banagher. "There are a number of models of Haro aimed at enrichment for the very young - there's a particular model with a soft, rubberized plastic casing and eye projectors that can display a variety of coloured, moving images to capture attention, like one of those mobiles you hang over the cradle. As the child grows, though, you start needing to look for cases specialised for durability."
It's something he might have talked about with Jun and Tetsuya. Durability is going to be hugely important for any Haro he might get for little Gai, after all.
That child is going to grow up a true devil.
A girl he doesn't recognise starts up a chant, and Koji clears his throat, raising his hand to capture the crowd's attention. "Patience, please! I'll do another demonstration in a moment, please let's get these questions answered."
Ruri's question is treated exactly as seriously as Banagher's. "While the current Federation laws on Super AI development inherently limit the full potential of even a standard Haro's processor capabilities - " the twinge of Doctor Kabuto's expression suggests some dissatisfaction, either with his own answer or Law. Given that the former(?) pilot of Mazinger Z is known to have fought alongside 3G's Strongest Brave Robo Corps, this reaction isn't unexpected, perhaps. He forges on: " - there are a number of heuristics and self-development algorithms available open-source to allow a Haro to better bond with their owner as they learn more about each other - the companion adapts to their partner's needs and capabilities, just as the partner discovers which features of their Haro they enjoy the most. Most of these can be run efficiently with the stock components; the more complex ones will draw more processing power and memory space."
Rena's question follows naturally on from this: "That's one of the more basic functions of the self-learning algorithms I just mentioned. As miniaturisation of storage media progresses, I hope such capabilities will eventually become considered 'stock features'. Right now, though, if you are concerned with power draw, there are a number of internal battery options that greatly augment a Haro's capacity to be modified due to taking up less space; for instance, the Photon Power Research Institute has a range of Japanium-based batteries, allowing your companion to draw on the light of Photon Power for all its needs." He nods to Rakshata, somehow having managed to get three questions that directly link together back-to-back. "A Japanium-based battery includes a feedback circuit that diverts a small fraction of its output back into the battery, in order to maintain the energy conversion that lets the miracle of Photon Power function."
Questions thus appeased (for now?) Koji turns to the crowd. "Now, I seem to recall an audience demand..." He ducks down under the table, producing a sofubi of Damdam L2 and placing it at the opposite end from his MazinHaro, which has swapped its internals around to produce legs painted in the rich indigo of Mazinger Z's forelimbs instead of its rotors. He clears his throat again. "MAZINHARO: GO!"
Mazin-Haro Z's eyes flash white, arms unfolding from its upper flaps. "Tobase tekken! Tobase tekken! HARO-CKET PUNCH!" A tiny fweeeee issues forth as one fist blasts forth like a firework towards the Damdam sofubi, striking it hard enough to lift it off the table and smack its idiosyncratic wheel-based shape into the wall with a squeak.
The launched fist is reeled back in on a thin filament wire, and Mazin-Haro Z flexes.
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
Before she knows it, Yurika's become Harro's functional caretaker for the day! She finally snaps back to reality and scurries along to catch up to people, bun-ears flapping in the wind, panting and skidding to a high-heeled-halt in the the technical panel, listening to ways to improve your Haro's well-being.
Looking up. Looking down. Back and forth between advisors and Harro. Most of the advice probably doesn't apply here considering there's 0 shared components between a Haro, and Harro. But Haro principles should still apply to Harro, right? And besides, this is good practice for when she gets married and has kids! Harro's kind of like a baby Haro. Right?
"Alright. Yosh! Let's see if we can cheer this thing up. Up we gooo!" Tossing Harro up in the air - catching! Tossing and catching! Giving Harro her biggest smile, seeing if the little orb reacts!
Nothing lights up or makes noises. She pokes Harro's forehead. Nothing. Pressing buttons. Nothing. "Eh? Eh!? EH!?!?! W-what went wrong? Harro?! Are you alright? No way did I already mess it up this badly!! Hueeehhh!?!?!?"
-Harro's AA batteries have simply been depleted.
Ruri's getting so into all of this, so Yurika shifts over awkwardly next to Rena, and psst pssts, "H...hey, I may have...I may have accidentally killed this Haro, and that might be punishable by death at a convention like this, s-s-s-so, do you know, what I can do, to fix this-"
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
This time slot's offered panels draw to a close, and guests come filtering out of the second-floor rooms. It seems the majority of events will take place on the first floor now, including...
A large room dedicated entirely to games! A traditional arcade is set up to one side, but most of the action centers around Haro-themed games. A pool table is set out with mini-Haros as the balls -- in protective cases, of course. They all cheer at particularly good plays.
Off to the side, enclosed in a small tent, is a dimly lit makeshift karaoke booth. Mood lighting switches between shades of purple, blue, orange, green, and so on, as a background track hums over speakers as large as a small child. A Haro with legs and arms clutches a microphone in one of its hands, its body bouncing up and down to the beat in a facsimile of head-bobbing.
Reclining in a chair next to the karaoke machine, a snoring Domon Kasshu is sprawled out, grumbling in his sleep occasionally. A young man with brilliant red hair and vibrant yellow eyes drapes a jacket over Domon like a blanket, smiling helplessly. At least the Haro seems to be enjoying itself.
More games fill the room. Anything that could even reasonably feature a Haro is present -- though the Haros are always well-protected. Haro safety is of the utmost concern! Most of the games have no line, so are open for any guests who wish to try their hand at one.
For those not interested in games of any variety, fear not. A cheerful electronic noise plays over the PA system. "Hello! Hello! It's time for the talent show!" With a few chirps, the speaker signs off.
Located in a very large room, the Haro Talent Show promises a spectacle in its own right. Instead of having room for an audience, guests are expected to walk around the area to take in each Haro's chosen performance. Given a roped-off two-meter square space, the little companion robots choices vary wildly.
Closest to the door, a Haro wearing a little helmet skates back and forth. With a happy cry, he zooms up one ramp and down another, then hops onto a miniature handrail. "Radical!" He chirps, grinding down the rail on his skates. "Radical!" Bending his tiny knees, Haro leaps off the handrail and spins in the air, landing neatly on one skate. A perfect ten!
Another nearby display hosts a Haro simply sitting at a table. Unlike the others, this one is not roped off, and in fact, a human-sized chair waits in front of the table, currently occupied by a teenage girl. A small line has formed behind her. "Your card is --- Queen of Spades!" Haro proclaims. The teenage girl gasps, then claps. "You're right! That's amazing!" Haro rocks back and forth. "I'm psychic! I'm psychic!"
Closer to the center, a larger square of space is portioned off, giving the performance a wider berth. It seems people stay for a little longer at a time before they wander off at once--an expo, perhaps? Upon approach, the scene is set: a haphazard pile of foam columns and walls, a miniature tent with a red cross on it, and a woman in a rugged outfit and a reflective vest kneeling over two Haros. She glances at her watch, and stands up, welcoming the onlookers to HaroCon's Talent show.
"My name is Christina MacKenzie, and these are my Haros, MAIRO--" To her right rolls a brushed-steel Haro, kind of dull-looking, or perhaps it has a very hard life. "--and XAIRO." Her left hand gestures towards an unusually large Haro, gleaming white with a medic's red cross; this Haro hovers in the air for a moment and flaps its ears to the kids in the crowd. "I help communities rebuild whenever something bad happens to their homes or workplaces, and these two are my partners when it comes to saving hurt people. MAIRO helps me keep my machinery in proper order and communicate with fellow aid workers, and XAIRO actively looks for people and goes to free them." She bends down to pet both Haros. "Alright, let's show them our teamwork!"
"First things first, we need to see who needs help--and if we find any, it's important to let other aid workers know where we are, in case we need more equipment." XAIRO hovers in the air again--clearly, there's an impressive atmospheric repulsor packed into that Haro!--and extends a signal array from her body, soon calling out "South, one! South, one!" as she turns towards the pile of foam 'rubble'. MAIRO, responding to his sibling's discovery, blip-beeps and flaps, making lights cascade over the field antenna next to Chris.
"Then, as long as the situation is safe to approach--for both us and anyone trapped inside--it's important to reach them as quickly as possible; they're likely injured and dehydrated. XAIRO, go outfield." XAIRO takes from Chris's hand a first aid kit, and bobs carefully up the foam pile. When one of the foam pieces starts shifting, XAIRO stops and shifts around to the other side before continuing.
"If they're pinned under rocks or rubble, XAIRO is equipped to confirm their health and make it easier for them to stay strong until help arrives." Indeed, it isn't clear to the onlookers whether there is anyone in there until XAIRO's pincered struts extend from beneath its flaps, leveraging two foam pieces apart until a mannequin's upper body can be seen. The first aid kit is lowered carefully into the mannequin's hands, and XAIRO holds its position, while MAIRO controls a small, remote-control fire engine, WHEEP-WHOOPing over to the foam pile. It's a toy, but it should be symbolic enough for a demonstration!
"Finally, if help can't make it to us," the redheaded woman says, walking up to the pile and slowly climbing it, "We can take more mildly-injured victims to the medical tent ourselves, and MAIRO can drive my buggy so I can keep an eye on the victim." Chris retrieves the aid kit from the mannequin and helps XAIRO reset the foam blocks back on top, descending to bow before the accumulated crowd. "My name is Christina MacKenzie, and I do my best work alongside my partners. MAIRO, XAIRO, thank the audience for watching until the end." Both Haros bounce and blink and repeat "Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone!" as Chris takes a seat and a drink, checking her watch until the next expo.
Nine more Haros have displays to explore throughout the room, featuring everything from calligraphy to petite mobile suit piloting. There are subtle tip jars located by each Haro's area, for those more generously minded.
<Pose Tracker> Riika Sheder has posed.
Rakshata's question makes Riika actually think for a few long moments. "Well, if they're not interested in cosplay, I wouldn't try to force it on them," she says. "It's - you know what? Hold on. I feel a little silly saying all this out of a Haro helmet."
Fortunately, the front plate of the 'Haro' head pops upward on a hinge, revealing Riika's head and shoulders - because of where the Mobile Haro's arms are attached, the 'head' of the Haro covers a bit more than Riika's actual head. She pushes it open where a catch holds it open, blinks in the change of light. "Sorry. If I talk a lot in there it fogs up my glasses," she says, apologetically. "I haven't fixed that yet."
"Anyhow, there are some sites I can point you at for guidance." Riika does not have any paper on her, but if Rakshata has a way to take notes she can provide a few. "Some of them do premade things; others, tips on building your own. You can start a lot simpler than this! I like building things - in my 'real job' I'm an engineer, so I kind of overbuild things, ha ha..."
She laughs, a little embarrassed.
--
But THIS room is one Riika definitely wanted to see. She loves to see what Haros can be taught and built to do. She claps for the skating Haro, is at least a little impressed by the psychic Haro (requires less physical modifications but more training and learning, or at least programming), and is *very* impressed by the working Haros of Christina MacKenzie. "How long did it take you to come up with the design and concept for this?" she asks, curious. "It's pushing the limits of what Haros are usually modified to do, isn't it?"
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
"I'll invite her now." Banagher answers in a murmur. Then, louder: "LiSA, do you have VERTEX?"
Banagher laughs at Leina's shocked expression. "She's your favorite! If there are women out here dressed as cheerleaders and bunnygirls, we should go all out too, don't you think? For their sake."
It's a very silly reason to drop this amount of money on Sheryl merch, but seeing Leina smile is so much more than worth it. "Alright, I'm in no rush to return to the vending machine life... Thanks for letting me spoil you, Leina."
Giovanni's outburst earns a wiggle of Haro's arms. Silent support for his eloquent bestie. Banagher looks at Leina, bewildered, at her SNERK at his question. Should he not bring up his plans for Eight's Haro..?
Banagher writes down Koji's answer nearly word for word, shooting the man a grateful smile. "Thank you. A mobile, that's what they're called..."
Nova's chant catches on with Haro. "Rock-et Punch! Rock-et Punch!" The little robot repeats, innocent of what he's demanding.
"H--Haro, come on." Banagher murmurs, writing down ideas, occupied until Mazin-Haro Z lights up and launches a MIGHTY Haro-cket punch!
"Woah!" Banagher immediately swipes to a clean page and writes fervently. Haro, still in his lap, begins to clap.
"Yay! Yay! Hands!" Haro cheers. "Koji! Hands!"
As the panel winds down, Banagher rearranges the items in his backpack, managing to get a few more bags inside. He really went all out, but maybe all out was... a little more than he was ready for. Banagher vaguely wonders if one can wear two backpacks at once.
"Alright, I'm ready." Banagher stands, leaning in to kiss his girlfriend. "Promise kept, Leina, we're even."
Happy to move with the crowd for now, the young pilot gradually comes to the game area. While everything looks really fun, he's already visited earlier in the month. Banagher hasn't seen the talent show yet.
"Would you like to go by the talent show? I think Chris has a display--"
But Leina is on a mission. Banagher watches with amusement as his girlfriend makes her way to the legendary Gundam Fighter, giving the redheaded boy a sympathetic nod from across the room.
Even Domon Kasshu has to fear getting on Leina's bad side. Banagher readjusts the bags in his arms, letting Haro out of his grasp to flap by his shoulder.
"Danger. Danger."
"You're not wrong." Banagher murmurs.
Once they make their way to the talent show portion, Banagher is enamored. He stops to watch every Haro performance, and tips all of them. What does a Haro do with tip money? Who knows.
Of course, no one captures his attention quite as much as MAIRO and XAIRO.
"MAIRO! XAIRO!" Haro calls, waving his winglets in return to the unusually large companion robot. "Go! Go!"
Chris' presentation is watched with awe. Banagher heard about her companions' abilities, but seeing them in motion is entirely different! If his arms weren't full of bags he'd be filming this -- Chris' work on her Haros' grip balance is incredible. He has so many questions to ask!
Applause meets the end of the show, both from Banagher (with some difficulty) and his Haro. "Haro, remember what we talked about?"
"Haroic! Haroic!" With a triumphant sound, Haro flaps his way over to Chris' seat. "Chris! Chris! A present! Haroics!"
One of Haro's spindly arms extends, reaching into an interior compartment. He pulls out an envelope and offers it to Chris, floats over to MAIRO and XAIRO to pat them each on the head, then returns to Banagher.
"Good job, buddy." Banagher leans his head against the little robot's side, a sort of pat while his hands are occupied.
Within the envelope:
Dear Chris, reads a letter.
Welcome to Haroics! I send these pins to everyone who stays active on the site for more than a year. But you're already a part of things, so let's skip the wait. Thanks for all your help.
-thelastHaro
And enclosed within, as promised, is a little pin! While clearly handmade, Banagher must've given it his all, and it doesn't look bad. A lime-green Haro smiles out at the world while wearing the RX-78-2's helmet.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"Thank you, Dr. Kabuto," Ruri says, when he answers her question, entirely polite. She does want to ask more about Japanium batteries, but --
She senses a disturbance in the Force!!
Ruri looks up, at the exact moment Harro's eyes grow dull. "?" She verbalises a question mark, as she looks down to Archimedes. They share... something, and Ruri tries to reach Yurika, as the crowd filters out of the presentation hall. "Captain! Captain?"
Luckily for Yurika, Ruri is VERY small, so she gets lost in the crowd and can't catch up to her. She and Rena still have a chance to fix this!
Before Ruri macronises Archimedes and lets her bully everyone, that is.
Luckily, the HARO TALENT SHOW distracts her from whatever doom Yurika was about to face. The first show Ruri lines up for is the Psychic Haro, and indeed, when she picks a card... "That was my card," she tells the Haro, with a gentle expression. "You got it. I hope you have a lot of fun with your psychic powers, Haro." She's awfully fond about it, for being so harsh with Yurika earlier.
Why Ruri would want to meet a psychic machine is...
Anyway.
She approaches Christina's Safety Show next, holding Archimedes in her hands. "Your Haro are very strong," she says, to Christina, with that same chronically-neutral stoic expression she always wears. Her friendliness, on the other hand, is conveyed to MAIRO and XAIRO... through the same technopathic greeting she's been offering so many machines, today.
Hello, it goes. My name is Ruri. Are you having fun? It's not in that language, of course -- it's much lower-level than that. But we'll translate, for the audience.
<Pose Tracker> Anita Rosetta has posed.
"Always glad to give you a hand." Anita replies with a nod and a smile toward Rena.
At the panel... everyone has pretty good questions to ask. Anita doesn't have any, herself - she's more satisfied to see what everyone else wants to know.
The panel draws to a close - and now, it's time for games! Anita looks at the pool table curiously. ...It seems like the Mini-Haros actually like getting battered around, and she can tell by looking that their cases are sturdy enough that they won't get hurt.
"What do you think? Up for a game of pool?" Anita asks, looking up toward Rena and anyone else who might happen to be in the area. ...In the event that anyone does take her up on it, she doesn't seem all that interested in actually winning. If anything, her shots are aimed in a way just to make it more exciting for the Mini Haros being used as balls...
And then, the karaoke booth... Harooke? Anita can't help but chuckle at the microphone-wielding Haro, though the sight of the caped man from one of the earlier booths managing to sleep through it all causes a raised eyebrow. At least he's got someone looking after him, this time... maybe that's something only he can do right now.
Soon enough, she moves onto the talent show!
"Now this I gotta see." Anita comments with interest. She makes her way through - her Haro piping up with a 'Radical!' to echo the radical Haro's own excitement.
Chris's display gets a lot of interest from Anita, too. As someone who already has a lot of investment in the use of Haros for care purposes, it's interesting to her to see them being used for rescue purposes.
"...Wow. That's kinda impressive..." Anita notes, rare surprise on her face.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lancaster has posed.
"Ah, so... Japanium batteries?" Rena says. "And--yes, I think I understand! I'll need to look at the coding on those. And find batteries."
She nods her head seriously.
Then her eyes light up with glee at MazinHaro. She applauds loudly when the demonstration is finished. Haro-cket Punch is something she soon won't forget.
Then, Rena looks at Anita -- and she smiles. "Yeah, that sounds great, Annie!" she says. "Pool sounds like fun."
Rena, as it happens, isn't very good at pool. She spends too much time trying to calculate the perfect angle, then hitting the ball too softly. It has a lot to do with the fact they're Haros.
And very cute.
The next panel has Christina MacKenzie presenting. Rena blinks her eyes once -- and then she leans over, whispering to Anita. "She was a test pilot in the One Year War," she says. "She piloted one of the first Gundams, actually."
She trails off, though, and listens.
It's a use for Haros that Rena hadn't considered before. She looks between XAIRO and MAIRO, before she smiles a little wider. She'd read her service record; she never knew what happened to her, but...
It feels nice to see that she ended up working in search and rescue. She applauds at the end of it.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
"Just don't make a habit of it." Leina grumps good naturedly. "I'll make an exception this once." Before she wonders about Rakshata's thing for costumes, "Maybe she really likes the theater?" She murmurs to herself in wonder.
Leina's got a big ol' grin the moment that Koji powers on through Banagher's question in such a straight laced manner.
Before she smiles with an exasperated yet affectionate look across the room as Haro and Nova chant at the demonstration.
"Thanks Koji, for undermining my whole PSA to kids on NOT weaponizing their Haros."
She accepts the kiss with a smile, "For now." She adds.
Eventually the panel is over, and they head into the game room, "Oh God. This place is fantastic." Leina says with a small grin, as she looks over the Haros getting ready for the talent show.
However...
...she senses the presence of a certain someone, "Hey Banagher, be right back."
It's not long before she's right in front of Domon, arms crossed, her eyes sliding up to Gridman.
Just.
Staring.
Then after a moment, she lets out the longest sigh, "Okay, Gridman? I'm calling him a Glyde." And so she does. And Domon thus likely wakes up in a shuttle later, with a post it note stuck to his forehead.
CHECK YOUR PHONE!
THEN CALL RAIN!
I MEAN IT DOMON!
Along with a scrawled picture of Leina looking irritated with anime cross popping veins, hands on her hips.
When she returns to Banagher she pats his arm, "Sorry love, needed to sort someone out."
Eventually however at the talent show, her eyes light up as they watch each act in turn, "Hey is that Chris!?" Leina is all smiles again as she watches her show off MAIRO and XAIRO as she whispers to Banagher, "If she doesn't win best in show, I'm complaining to the judges."
She waves towards Chris, discreetly, but tries her best not to interrupt her presentation, as she watches the two work in tandem in a simulated search and rescue.
And at the end she applauds, as Giovanni leaps up and flaps from her arms, "Weary of disasters! XAIRO! MAIRO! Live long! Live long!"
She watches Ruri approach as she catches Giovanni, and part of her smiles at her engagement, but she takes a step back, not wanting to force the girl to deal with sight of someone who scared her with a gun.
"Let's go watch the rest of the shows." She murmurs to Banagher, after Haro has delivered the pin. She'll be sure to meet up with Chris later, when she's less busy.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Naoko cheers and applauds like mad at the fabled HAROCKET PUNCH she managed to provoke the demonstration of. It's like it was the best thing she's ever seen! What can she say, she loves the classics. It doesn't leave her with an opportunity to ask any of her actual questions, but she'd never have been able to decide on which to ask, anyway. Besides, actually speaking to Koji Kabuto, she might not be ready for that. It took enough courage to be here at all. It's fine, other people asked some good ones, what matters is that she got what she wanted most. Well, what she'd actually want most is getting to show Koji her Rocket Punch, but what are the odds that could ever happen?
She has far less trouble babbling about it to the Ra Mari crew as they leave the panel, an opportunity that she doesn't miss. "Did you hear his answer to the AI question? You saw that look, right? I'm totally with him on that, there's so much more a Haro could be capable of, I'm sure. I bet you everything that they're purposely limiting what you're able to do with the AI of the commercial ones. It's a travesty is what it is! Why wouldn't you encourage AI to be the best it could be?" Did we mention she's a huge AI nerd? Did we need to??
Of course, this only lasts about as long as it takes for it to be TIME FOR GAMES, as she announces, "And over there's the Haro Arcade! ...Huh, I haven't actually been in there at all yet. So, I've got nothing, let's just go check it out!" And that's how you adopt that go-with-the-flow attitude that Miracle Workers are famous for (according to Naoko).
She gives the karaoke section a wiiiiide berth, thereby missing an encounter with a certain other Japanese hero that she'd regret missing had she known, even if he's not at his best right now. Instead, she heads straight for the bullet hell shooters. She's really good at those, and gets really far in her chosen game, only faltering when she comes up against the final boss. Not for lack of skill, but...
"Ahhh, you win again! I'm no match, I just can't fight you, Psyco Haro!" Of course. Oooof course.
She steps up to Christina's demonstration at the tail end of it, looking on appreciatively, asiding to those who may be with her, "See, that's exactly what I mean, imagine what more they could do with a little more autonomy." That conversation was a long time ago by this point, but Nova Stellar's conversations never truly end, they just take a little break.
<Pose Tracker> Rakshata Chawla has posed.
"Is that right? I'm in design myself," says Rakshata to Riika, and she says nothing further on that topic. She does, however, get out her little Perfect Memory book for the convention and set it down to write down site links and so forth. She doesn't seem to have a phone or a phonamil or a HARO with her. Is that legal? She must have paid extra to get in Haro-free.
SOMEWHERE IN INDIA
Shanti Chawla complains while loitering next to her colleagues at the ultra-advanced design bureau and research facility, "Big sis better get my Sheryl Haro..."
'Why isn't there a Sharon Apple Haro?' asks one of the other kids, looking up from her post-graduate coloring book. Shanti just looks at her.
HERE THO
After she receives her answer, though, Rakshata seems to curl her lip up a little and gets on her scooter, visibly scootling out of the panel before Koji Kabuto can finish speaking.
"And what will you do, Koji Kabuto," Rakshata says to herself as she hangs a tight left into the hallway on her Haro scooter, "on"
"The Day The Earth Stands Still?"
'You almost hit me!'
Rakshata doesn't dignify this complaint with a response.
<Pose Tracker> Yurika Misumaru has posed.
Yurika hears the word 'Japanium Battery' and bolts upright. Perhaps that will breathe life into Harro! So she's doing the unthinkable. She's marching her way towards the area with Koji's panel with firm 'excuse me!'s and 'passing by!'s, setting Harro on the table with a firm thud, reaching for the first object that looks kind of like a power source -
- ...diligently, and slowly, unscrewing Harro's battery tray, a process that takes a slightly embarrassing amount of time -
- then crams the Ambiguous Technological Doodad in. Firmly gazing at Koji in the eyes, "Thank you for all your innovations! You've saved a life today!"
The tray's slammed shut, diiiiiligently screwed back in - and, the moment of truth - the power button is pressed!
Harro THRUMS with power. Crackles with little arcs of lightning. His eyes glow brighter than ever, twin spotlights illuminating the world. And the weak and tinny little speaker has gained an imposing, intimidating BOOM and ECHO to its meandering sounds.
"Oh, phew! Harro's looking healthier than ever before!" And she marches right back over to Ruri, wiping her forehead, and presenting her affront to technological common sense. "Harro was just taking a nap! I took good care of him!"
...in Ruri's hands, the little device now feels more like an overly powerful RC car attempting to zoom off at sixty miles per hour. But he's not exploding yet! That's a good sign! For Yurika, that's enough for her to know she's the Hero of HaroCon. How many others here can claim to have rescued a Haro from the brink of death!?
<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.
"... Hey Master?" LiSA asks her gaze watching Yurika and Harro as she turns to watch the newly thrumming OSTENSIBLY ROUND FRIEND HAR(R?)O lights up.
"Master, I think an affront to lab safety and science just occured."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri meets Leina's eyes... and frowns, hugging Archimedes a little closer to herself. That woman...
"Fool! Fool!" Archimedes flaps her wings, to Leina, even if Ruri doesn't say anything about it. "Quit staring! Fool!" And Ruri blinks, looking down at her. "Archimedes, don't be rude..."
Ruri, of course, taught her all about being rude. Archimedes is now... Rude Haro.
Luckily, Ruri is distracted from chastising her critical Haro by another critical Haro. Or, in this case... a critical Harro, brought over by Yurika. "Captain?" Ruri blinks. "I wanted to tell you that Harro's batteries died, but..."
Her eyes widen, as she takes Harro in her hands, and processes through the touch exactly how many beep-beeps she's getting from Harro all at once. "Harro!" She yelps, holding him up. "Calm down, okay? You're going to get too much attention..."
That's what she says, anyway.
Home address set 0x01b breach operating limits cross link to point zero-four, is something like what she's walking him through, on another level entirely. Breathe. It's okay. Link operation disc with motherboard operations. Expel excess through light. Cycle from bottom layer up at a rate of .002 seconds.
Harro's eyes light up even BRIGHTER, and Ruri says: "It's okay. That's normal. He's brighter because he's got bigger batteries in now."
Hello, Harro. You're a lot more powerful now, aren't you? It's okay. Be calm. You're not in trouble. I'll take care of you.
<Pose Tracker> Christina MacKenzie has posed.
Christina takes a drink from her water bottle, smiling as a number of members from the latest audience stay to engage. Thankfully, she managed to get lunch just before the talent show announcement proper, but she's been running the expo since this morning.
To Riika, but loud enough that the rest of the lingering audience can hear the Q&A. "Is that a Mobile Haro outfit? Wow, it looks great! I think Haros can do just about anything; I just have a little more experience with putting odd things together than most. How long? Well, MAIRO...MAIRO has been my assistant for almost fifteen years now. Initially he just stored alarms and kept tabs on where in the hangar I kept different parts, but, I gradually gave him wireless control over some of the heavy equipment, like the scissor lift, jacks, and cockpit control so I could be in two places at once. So, I guess it was more of iteration-by-necessity?" XAIRO, on her best behavior, hovers closer, not wanting to miss her turn. "XAIRO, though, was more of a ground-up concept. I started to think about it alongside a colleague from an aid foundation, about the limits of heavy rescue equipment. It took a while to figure out how to fit so much strength into such a small package!" She wonders if it's too early to say so, but, the wonder in the woman's eyes makes her want to share, "Actually, I'm starting to take on commission work for unique purpose-built Haros. I'm going to try and keep a portfolio of the clients that don't mind me sharing the designs. If you're interested in it, there's a Haro enthusiast forum I'm on!"
She doesn't at first notice Banagher in the crowd, but once Haro bounces up, she lights up. "Hey there little one! Did you come to see your friends? -Eh? For me?" Chris kneels to take it from Haro directly, and her expression changes, ever so slightly. "Oh... Thank you. Tell, ah, tell your good friend Mr. Tether over there that this means a lot to me." She puts the pin on her jacket immediately and stands up to meet Banagher's eyes. XAIRO and MAIRO aaalmost hop after Haro, but they're being really well behaved right now!
Ruri almost activates them with their new favorite word though. But, to Chris's surprise and relief, XAIRO announces "XAIRO, strong!" with a reasonable volume for once--and just once. Chris turns to tell them to thank her for the compliment, but notices that something about the girl has affixed their attention to her. Huh. Doesn't seem to be anything bad... Chris looks at the Haro cradled in her small hands, and a warm, affectionate smile blooms. "You really love Haros, don't you? Me too."
"Ruri? Human? Haro? Haroman??" XAIRO expresses wonder at this unusual connection. "XAIRO is a Hero! XAIRO works hard, and has fun here! Making many new friends. "
"MAIRO, too, is a bit surprised, but adapts more quickly than his younger sister. "Hello Ruri! MAIRO is having lots of fun. Three of us are family, being together is fun, but being here is even more fun!"
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
A Lot of Things Happen In Quick Succession. Koji watches, gobsmacked, as Yurika just flagrantly robs him and jams a Photon Power battery into a knockoff that was never designed to take so much power. "The surge protectors - " he starts, lamely, but Yurika's already passed the poor Harro into Ruri, and...
Something happens. He can't hear Ruri's conversation with Harro, but he can see how the toy reacts, how the incredible surge of energy is... somehow safely channeled without any tools or physical maintenance taking place.
He's speechless twice over, until LiSA speaks up. "... I think it's going to be fine?"
He picks up his own water bottle, and takes a long swig from it.
<Pose Tracker> LiSA has posed.
"Master?" LiSA asks, as she is reassured that it should be OK.
"... How much would it cost so my Haro could do ALL of the things?" Good-bye, wedding fund.
<Pose Tracker> Eight York has posed.
"Thank you, everyone, for attending today's events at HaroCon! As we start to wind down, please come to the main event floor for a special presentation!"
What could that be? The majority of guests make their way to the main room. Thankfully, even with the crowd, there's still plenty of space. HaroCon went all out with renting a space this huge!
"This has been our biggest and best HaroCon yet!" A cheerful announcer speaks over the PA system. "All of our staff are so grateful to you, our guests. We hope you've enjoyed yourselves, and we hope to see you again next year! Without further ado -- we have one last surprise for you tonight. An interview with the man who popularized Haros himself -- Amuro Ray!"
Lights dim, and a projected image rises above the crowd.
---
INTERVIEWER: So, Mr. Ray, what do you think the Haro represents? ... Mr. Ray?
Shaky footage of the camera looking around to find AMURO RAY, floating in zero-g, cross-legged and tinkering with a circuit board. He looks completely lost in his own world.
INTERVIEWER: Mister Ray? ... Amuro!!
AMURO RAY: Huh? ... Oh. Is it time for the question? I'm almost done here -- give me just a second... or five minutes... and then I... huh...
CAMERA FEED CUTS OUT
CUT BACK TO AMURO, FLOATING UPSIDE-DOWN, STILL WORKING ON THAT CIRCUIT
INTERVIEWER: Amuro...
AMURO RAY: Right. Okay. I'm done. See, that barely even took ten minutes. ... What time is it?
INTERVIEWER: ... It's been three hours--
CAMERA CUTS OUT
CUT BACK TO AMURO, EATING A SANDWICH
AMURO RAY: Okay. Shoot.
INTERVIEWER: Alright. Thank you. As you know, we're putting together a Haro Convention, and we wanted to know straight from the source: the Haro started as something of an obscure toy line until your heavily publicized feats during the One Year War, where your heavily modified Haro took the world by storm. So -- what do you think the Haro represents?
AMURO RAY: What it represents...? Oh, that's easy. The Haro represents a huge potential in rudimentary artificial intelligence that I think can one day serve as a secondary memory system for humans; see, as we continue to develop in the future, I think the amount of information we have access to will escalate exponentially relative to our capacity to retain it, and--
INTERVIEWER: ... Amuro... no--
CAMERA CUTS OUT
CUT BACK TO AMURO, SITTING NORMALLY
INTERVIEWER: ... Okay. We're recording again. Why don't we try it like this... Amuro, your Haro was with you through the worst of the One Year War. What did it mean to you?
AMURO RAY: Ah. *scratches his cheek* I mean... it was irreplaceable, right? The Haro -- it started as just a hobby, you know? This random little toy I got for cheap that I found out had a base you could modify really easily when you cracked it open. When I was a kid, I kept to myself a lot, and it was usually tinkering with things like the Haro that kept me company. Kept me busy. So it started out as like a little diversion, and then I got more invested in it... and by the time the fighting really started, it was... well. It was always with us. It was always helping. Through all my best and all my worst times, taking care of the kids, helping Frau... it saved our lives, a couple times. It was like family. It's kind of heartening, to see the whole Haro line get a second lease on life thanks to ours. I guess... I don't know. ...
AMURO RAY: I guess to me, the Haro was something that was always there for me. It meant that I never had to be alone. If it can do that for other people, that's all I really need.
<Pose Tracker> Christina MacKenzie has posed.
[Stitch to prior]
Christina notices two more girls (Anita and Rena) stopping by, and they seem to enjoy the expo, so she waves and smiles cordially at them. Anyone who appreciates Haros is good energy.
Chris doesn't actually notice, consciously, that she notices Leina in the crowd. She simply notices that her stance relaxes slightly, and then after the expo's end, that her eyes wander in that direction. Ah! She waves, belatedly, a rising feeling of gratitude--this is the first time they've seen each other since Leina shoved her onto the HaroCon shuttle with Akane and Rikka. She's glad she came, and that Leina pushed her to.
Haroutonomy is extremely important! After all, if XAIRO and MAIRO only ever waited for Chris to tell them what to do, she'd be so terribly overwhelmed in the field! Rather, she gave them so much more independence to make it that much easier for all three of them together. Haros are limited only by human ingenuity! Haros grow with humans!
<Pose Tracker> Koji Kabuto has posed.
Koji watches the final presentation of HaroCon with a... deeply complicated expression. He reaches for Sayaka's hand again, squeezing it.
"If they only knew..." He murmurs quietly to her and LiSA. After all, that the man shown in this footage is alive is still a deeply-buried secret, known to only a handful of people here.
He glances over to Banagher who is doubtless watching the footage raptly. "This is maybe the most candid look at who Amuro really was," he says to the younger man, before looking back to Sayaka. "We should... make time. Soon."
'To visit him', he can't say, for fear of being overheard.
The strange somber mood leaves him. "Right. How about a doubles pool match? Girls versus boys, or couple versus couple?" Did he just? He did.
<Pose Tracker> Naoko Suzuki has posed.
Naoko looks up at the announcement, briefly surprised by it before realizing, "Oh right, I guess they're gonna show That again." To anyone who may be listening though, she'll suggest, "I won't spoil the surprise, but you should go check that out, it's very interesting."
She, too, goes to check it out again. Trying to see details in the interview that she might have missed, see if Amuro's expressions can tell her more than he's saying. And wondering out loud, yet again, "When the heck did they record that...?" It makes a difference, knowing what had and hadn't happened yet to possibly color Amuro's state of mind at the time. It often feels like the most important parts are what's left unsaid, whether it's in a video or direct conversation.
...But never mind that. She hasn't been to an arcade in ages. Time to sneak in one more game before they pull the plug on things today!
<Pose Tracker> Banagher Links has posed.
Gridman looks back at Leina for a moment, before ducking his head in embarrassment. "Sorry... He's been drinking the whole time..."
There is no protest as Leina sticks a post-it to Domon's face. "Thank you. I'll bring him home to Tsutsujidai safely. He won't stay, but at least he won't wind up in a ditch again."
...if Gridman takes a picture of his Master with a post-it on his forehead in the Glyde, he'll never tell.
---
Adjusting some bags to his other arm (Banagher never imagined he'd be grateful for Angelo's hellish strength training, but it's saving him in this moment), Banagher wraps an arm around Leina's shoulders as they watch Chris' performance.
This has been wonderful. He pulls Leina close, leaning his pink-hatted head against hers. Getting to do things like this, like a normal teenage couple, is such a precious gift. Banagher will have to thank Koji for making this feel 'okay', even in the face of so many horrible things.
Ruri's Haro insults Leina, and Banagher frowns, coming out of his peaceful thoughts. "Leina, who is..?" But as Leina leaves, Banagher follows with her, giving Ruri one last glance. What is wrong with that child?
The nightly announcement comes on, and Banagher angles himself and Leina toward the main event floor. Even though he's seen the presentation a dozen times, he doesn't want to miss it.
Lights dim. Banagher's eyes sparkle with anticipation. Amuro Ray appears, projected above the crowd, and he stands on his tiptoes to get just that much closer.
It meant that I never had to be alone.
Banagher holds Haro tightly, lowering his head. Memories return to his mind, echoing loudly from the young Newtype.
He was almost 14 when his mother died. Left with nothing but medical bills and an apartment to clean out, Banagher faced the future with a heart full of only despair.
But even so. Chores had to be done. The apartment had to be cleaned out, things sold in the hopes of scraping up a little money for Banagher to survive on. It's a long and difficult task. He puts off going into his mother's room as long as he can.
...an empty apartment. Banagher puts the rest of his mother's clothing into boxes, and his hand brushes against -- something. A box?
LIMITED EDITION! AMURO RAY'S HARO!
Banagher's eyes widen. A birthday card rests atop the box, sadly unwritten in. Tears in his eyes, he opens the box, awakening the little companion within.
"Hello! Hello!"
---
Tears fall down Banagher's cheeks. Haro turns around in his arms, nuzzling close to the young man's chest.
"Thanks, Haro." He murmurs. "I love you."
"Love you." Haro chirps. "Love you."
Koji's words startle Bangaher, and he glances up, eyes wide and soft. A few more tears slip down his face, but he smiles. "Yeah. That feels right."
Leaning into Leina for a long moment, Banagher takes comfort and strength through their bond. Even if her walls are high and defensive, he can still feel her soul brushing against his own.
"Pool sounds fun." He says to her, devotion in his eyes. "I bet we can beat them, love."
<Pose Tracker> Sayaka Yumi has posed.
Sayaka squeezes Koji's hand just as tight, keeping her gaze fixed on the footage of a much younger Amuro Ray.
It wasn't so long ago that she had to fight Ruin Apostle Amuro Ray in Torrington but... this is who he really was.
"Yes. We should." Sayaka states simply in response to Koji. She has to wonder how well LiSA would get along with him... especially with her newfound love for Haros.
Sayaka's eyes brighten at the challenge of a game of pool. Couples or girls versus boys? She glances over to Banagher, who has made quite the bold claim. "You'd like to test that theory?" She simply asks, fire in her eyes. Of course, after they're done with the young couple, Sayaka will gladly pulverize Koji in a game of pool next.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri is terribly flattered at being called a Haroman. "I'm human, but I'm glad to hear that, Hero-san," she clarifies, for XAIRO, with a gentle expression. It's the same fondness she has for MAIRO: "... and I'm happy you all get to be here together. You work together very well." Finally, she looks up to Chris, to say: "I want machines to be happy, too." What a strange way to say it..? Even so, she clearly does care about Haros.
And Harros! Ruri spends an awful lot of time talking Harro through his kernel panic -- and very little of that conversation is verbal -- but with brightly flashing lights, he manages to cope with the extreme power surge. She does quietly borrow someone's tools to add some generous extra grounding and panels which assuredly help. Someone may be concerned with that thirteen-year-old child handling a soldiering iron, but Ruri assures anyone worried that she's a systems operator, and she knows what she's doing.
She's also able to communicate to Harro where he should orient himself from moment-to-moment to avoid frying either of them. The way they're bouncing that power around him to let her work is... theoretically impossible, but apparently she's doing it anyway.
Once she sets him down to move circularly again, he's not even blinding anyone with his high-beams! Though his lights do still flash brightly. "Come on," she urges him. "Let's go to the main hall with the others..."
She finds Yurika again, because, well -- Yurika's the closest thing to a guardian she has in this place, so obviously she'd make her way back to her. (It helps that Archimedes downloaded a map.) "Is that Mr. Ray? For real, this time?" She asks, looking up at the projection. "Were Haros really intended just for human memory...?"
Ruri looks down at Archimedes and Harro, and sighs. "Well, maybe Haros mean that humans and AI can understand each other better... if more people understood that, it would be safer, I think."
"I'll make 'em understand! Fools! Fools!" Archimedes insists, flapping her wings. "I'll teach them good!!"
"I guess you became a troublesome child, just like me..." Ruri sighs, but her expression is markedly fond. (For her. It's still terribly mild, objectively speaking.) "But there are all types of Haros, so if this is how you've decided to teach people, that's fine, I think."
Harro lights up, with short and long bursts of of brightness which anyone who speaks morse code will be able to decipher as: FRIENDS
"That's right," Ruri agrees. "I guess we and Mr. Ray can agree on that, huh..?"
The most important thing, of course, is that Yurika hasn't killed Ruri's beloved circularly-moving toy, and so she will live to Captain for another day.
<Pose Tracker> Leina Ashta has posed.
Leina pinches the bridge of her nose as she tells Gridman, "I gathered." What the actual hell Domon? Sayla is going to need you soon and you're here...
"Do me a favor and make sure he doesn't leave Tsutsujidai unless Rain or I come to pick him up."
Then at least they'll know where he is. Afterwards, she just enjoys leaning into his presence for a time, watching Chris' show.
Leina doesn't say anything when Ruri frowns and hugs Archimedes closer to herself, even as Archimedes calls her Fool! Fool!
Tells her to Quit Staring! Fool!
There's no need to upset her further, she just walks away, giving her time with Chris, XAIRO, and MAIRO.
Chris is good with kids, it'll be fine once Leina's out of Ruri's sight. "It's not important." Leina tells Banagher, "She feels how she feels."
There's no need for her to remind him that he was there at the Gala when she terrified her.
Eventually they are taken to the main event floor, and she watches the video of Amuro Ray and the interviewer.
It's hard to say what she thinks, as Amuro walks through the paces of flubbing the interviewer, giving them hell, forcing them to hold his hand and stay on topic...
... but in the end he gives a surprisingly touching answer. It's only once he finishes, that she has the full answer, that she closes her eyes.
It's hard to reconcile her dislike of the man. She loves Haros - she always has, ever since she met Kamille's in the care of Shinta and Qum, and their fandom, she even liked his comments on Newtypes and being one. And as much as she hates to acknowledge it, he truly did love Sayla, and Sayla loved him.
It's just hard, being fair to the man who took such a role in destroying the happiness they built. The intangible cost of his miracle.
In the end, her arm slips around Banagher, and she gives him a hug as he cries, for many long moments, "I'm glad you had him. I'm also glad... that you'll never be alone like that, ever again." A beat, "You bet? I know we can." As she kisses him lightly on the cheek and murmurs, "Let's take a moment to get you cleaned up first though love."
And then she answers Sayaka, cheekily, "Does it matter?" She winks at her, as she can be a little bit of a brat when it's competitive.