[Action/Telepathy ... Later Written]

[ufo_fanboy]

[Action]

[Mulder woke up today in the blue, alien form of an Andalite At the moment, he's heading away from his building. It's too confining in there all of a sudden. As he runs along on his centaur-like body, his thought-speech is telepathically transmitted and can be 'heard' by anyone who happens to be in the area. His bladed tail whips around a

Comments

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[herpderpetile]

FBI? What does that acronym stand for? [As Robert listens to the explanation, he nods slightly.]

Ah, well, astrobiology is not considered supernatural on Terra... it is a reputable scientific field. Many discoveries have been made since the initial results found by the probe Quark and its companion dropship Lepton. [Robert's gaze drops to the limbs of the form in front of him.]

Hrm... That is actually completely plausible. Would you mind if I perhaps lifted one of your legs and checked the bottom of your hoof? There might very well be some sort of visible intake system. After all, those hooves are somewhat different than what I would expect on a Terran ungulate... and this body looks adapted to relatively quick quadrupedal motion, so perhaps the species is some kind of herd animal. The only question is how the food is actually drawn into the stomach from the limbs... many species have some equivalent of an esophagus, but fighting gravity all the time would be inefficient...

Ah, so much opportunity for unique insights. [Robert is beaming inside even if he looks pensive.]

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[ufo_fanboy]

< The FBI stands for the 'Federal Bureau of Investigation, it's an organization dedicated to law enforcement, although mine is the only department that actually handles the paranormal. Your world sounds like a place I'd like to visit. Where I'm from, a lot of people don't take the supernatural very seriously, despite plenty of evidence that it exists. Oh, and here, go for it and take a look. I promise not to kick. >

[Mulder moves a little closer, he's more comfortable getting close now that he's at least got that tail of his under control.]

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[herpderpetile]

By "paranormal", what exactly do you mean? Though my own world's physics seem to disallow the presence of things such as souls, magic and the like, many multiversions seem capable of it here. For example, my close friend Mr. Sprensonne was the first person to demonstrate magic to me here in Luceti.

[Robert kneels carefully near Mulder, lifting one hoof with a relatively-practised hand. He gently inspects the digit, studying the odd sole.] Ah, well, the structure here certainly seems atypical. There appears to be a series of pores that perhaps absorb nutrients... with the lack of any kind of PET scan, though, I cannot say for sure.

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[ufo_fanboy]

< Paranormal generally means anything that can't be explained by my world's science. Anything from unusual alien life forms, to magic, to anything else you could think of... >

[Mulder glances at him and thinks about that.]

< Something does seem significant about them. Nothing is exactly happening right now standing here, but maybe I have to stomp down harder to make them work. Or maybe it's not just regular ground that works, I might need some sort of vegetation? >

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[herpderpetile]

Ah, more or less my own definition of the term... Though in my case, I suppose it is somewhat more... exclusionary. After all, my own physics have no indication of most kinds of paranormal things being possible at all. But like I said... that is quite different here.

And... I would suppose vegetation would make more sense. Perhaps this species tramples vegetation as a form of mastication, and then consumes the remains? It's worth a shot, at the very least... otherwise some other method of getting food will have to be devised.

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[ufo_fanboy]

< Yeah, I have to assume barbeque is out of the question. I'll have to experiment and squash some things underfoot, in that case, and see where that gets me. Otherwise, I don't know, I have heard of creatures that absorb energy through other means, but... something about this form doesn't strike me in that way. >

[More and more, despite how utterly bizarre this is, Mulder is sounding like he enjoys what he's going through.]

< This is pretty wild for a first time experiment. >

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[herpderpetile]

[Robert completely understands. Even with the irritation of a nearly-omnipresent libido (thank you spring hormones), he's actually extremely fascinated by the biology of his own current form. To say nothing of the forms of others...]

Indeed it is... At least it is one of the relatively harmless experiments, assuming the form change can be harmless... The first experiment I witnessed involved changing the forms of villagers as well, but that was restricted to something more prosaic - something that the person loved, cherished, desired or wanted. At least as far as I could tell from the limited information I recieved.

[He beams.] That was how I met Donatello, actually.

[Then Robert sobers slightly.]

... But yes... some of the experiments seem far more unpleasant and dangerous than this. I only hope you never have to experience them, but that seems a foolish thought here.

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[ufo_fanboy]

< Turning into that which one most admires... I could see how that could be more enjoyable than the average experiment. Unless the idea of 'too much of a good thing' applies. I think any experiment has the potential for danger, if it's the wrong sort of influence, so I'll proceed with caution for anything in the future. > [He glances at him curiously, picking up the hint in facial expression and tone, even from the turtle.] < You and Donatello are very close? >

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[herpderpetile]

In the cases of some villagers, they were turned into comestible items... that could very well be dangerous, if someone were to consume those villagers.

[Wow, is Robert really that obvious that even a complete stranger can guess this? Strange how others can read his emotions, but he can't read theirs'.

He kind of blushes and smiles shyly at this.]

Ah, well... he is my partner. [Robert gently curls his fingers together with some anxiety.] Hence why I think this form is... ironic for the Malnosso to give me.

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[ufo_fanboy]

< People... BECAME consumable items? That would have been a complete nightmare for the person stuck like that. >

[As for the partners thing, he's got pretty good intuition when it comes to reading things from weird species. And while there is some part of him that wonders how that works between a turtle and a human... he can at least have tact when it counts!]

< Now I see what you meant by that. Maybe the Malnosso have some kind of method to their madness after all. Turning you into a turtle, me into an alien... or what I assume to be one... though I'm not particularly close in the sense of significant others with any aliens. They're just my life's work. >

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[herpderpetile]

[Robert nods at the first part.] Indeed. It was probably fairly traumatic, all things considering...

[It works in pretty much the same way all things with Robert work - awkwardly, stiltedly and only after applying a bunch of logic to it. But it works. Which is rare for a relationship that Robert is in...]

That certainly does seem to hold true in this case. Something... important or relevant to us, somehow. Like there's a distinct decision made on the behalf of the Malnosso, for each person...

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[ufo_fanboy]

< At least that gives us some insight into their logic. I'd thought they were pretty impossible to understand, but this gives me some hope that we can maybe start to figure them out. >

[Anything they have on them could help, Mulder figures. He's just known them as this mysterious enigma so far since arriving.]

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[herpderpetile]

They can be cruel barbarians and complete imbeciles, but I am certain that there is a method behind their madness. [Robert frowns and grinds his beak together a bit absentmindedly.] Everything is done for a reason, no matter how inane or despicable.

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[ufo_fanboy]

[Mulder nods, thoughtfully.]

< I had a feeling they had a lot of reasons to what they do, however unfathomable those might seem. >

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[herpderpetile]

[Robert smiles up at Mulder a little at that.]

Well, it seems logical to introduce myself properly at this point. My apologies for not doing so sooner; your form was... distracting, to put it mildly.

My name is Professor Robert Alexander Hastings. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, even at this... relatively odd time.

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[ufo_fanboy]

< I can't say I blame you. I had the same feeling when I looked in the mirror. > [He'd grin, but, no mouth.] < It's good to meet you. I'm Agent Fox Mulder. Just Mulder will do fine. >