It's so crowded in here

*The girl, Jessica Lassen, 16, had gotten into a relationship with a Kevin Dordia, 17. It was an abusive relationship, and Jessica finally broke it off last week. Kevin didn't take it well, and threatened her. Now she's missing and her family and friends are convinced Kevin is behind it.*

Connor: *reports as much even as he's looking up any records on Kevin and his family, also Jessica and hers just in case*

*Jessica is a good student and seems to be generally a good girl. Kevin has been known to be into drugs, and claims to be a vampire. Jessica over the last year had seemed to be headed the same way, but her friends were able to do an intervention and help her. Jessica has a good family history, a younger brother, and parents married for many years. Kevin's family in contrast have drug issues of their own, have been jailed many times, and are likely still together only because a divorce would be too much of a hassle.*

Connor: *again, will share all of this as he uncovers it*

Maura: Thank you, Connor. You certainly make this faster. I'd still be at my office reading if you weren't here.

Connor: What did you ever do without me? *clearly teasing*

Maura: Wasted a lot of time. *grin at him*

Connor: Apparently. *still grinning*

Maura: *pulls up outside of the he Lassen home* All right, let’s go find out more. ...You said you’ve got interrogation skills. I’d like to see what you can do with he family, unless they just refuse to speak to you.

Connor: ...if I've not been reassigned. *or...something else*

Gavin: ...That's unlikely. You'll be there to make my coffee in the morning, no doubt.

Connor: *gazing out the window . . . just nods, though he doesn't look convinced*

Gavin: *looks at him* ...Why do you look so worried? *not that he cares.*

Connor: ...two days, and I have so far failed to perform my intended function optimally, nor have I managed to integrate as I've been meant to.

Gavin: ...Two days isn't long enough for a test.

Connor: True…

Gavin: *Nods. Look, he doesn't know how to comfort, and he's not yet decided if he appreciates what Connor did or if he's pissed about it, even if appreciation is logical considering the circumstances...*

Connor: *not expecting comfort, especially not from someone who's made it abundantly clear that he hates him and his kind . . . he'll not speak again before they arrive back at Gavin's home*

Gavin: *opens the door and gets out* Guess we’ll be back to the grind tomorrow, see you then, Plastic. *will head towards his apartment.*

Gavin: *about fifteen minutes later he'll return to the car and start them back towards the precinct. He glances at Connor.* You ruin my day every time I look at you. *snorts and pulls out his gameboy again.*

Connor: I'm sorry. I don't mean to be unpleasant for you. What exactly is it that causes this?

Gavin: Your ugly face.

Connor: *headtilt, clearly confused at that* CyberLife androids are designed to work harmoniously with humans. My appearance as well as my voice were specifically designed to facilitate my integration.

Gavin: Yeah? They teach you not to talk back too?

Connor: I am programmed to be actively helpful to my partner and make available any data that I gather. I cannot accomplish my assignment if I am categorically forbidden from speaking to you.

Gavin: Look, I already told you I don't /need/ your help. You're just in my way. *had sat up and shifted to lean towards Connor and point at him.*

Connor: Perhaps /you/ do not, but you have been tasked with field-testing me for eventual use by other detectives. Don't think of me as a partner so much as a walking forensics lab if that would make this easier on you.

Gavin: *punches him! Though it's not as hard as it would have been if they weren't in the car* You need to learn not to sass me, Plastic. Do it again and you'll get worse. *said through gritted teeth.*

Connor: *LED flickers but he doesn't try to block the strike, even though Gavin can guess he saw it coming well enough. His synthetic skin pulls back and flows into place around the site of the strike. His head turns with the blow, then he looks back, a small frown on his face, LED yellow* It's not my intention to "sass," Detective. I'm merely discussing the situation. *what is he doing wrong!?*

Gavin: *a small part of his regrets doing that, realizing only after having struck Connor that if he’d damaged the android he’d likely be the one paying for it.* I’ve already given you orders, stop talking back about it.

Ezrim: How about a slow circuit together so we know where our “track” is, and then we’ll race for real?

Connor: That's reasonable. I can map an ideal route if you would like.

Ezrim: All right. Let’s go. *he’ll let Connor lead.*

Connor: *won't ride slowly, but it's at a sort of "brisk walk" pace, still slow enough that they can discuss obstacles and the like . . . and Connor promises to lock all but the most basic of the data he's gathering to get closer to a "react in the instant" behavior that Ezrim will have to contend with, not wanting to create an unfair advantage (beyond his direct hack, but he figures Ezrim's probably as used to a scooter as Darnell is to driving a car, so it's not too different)*

Ezrim: For the first race, sure, for the second, I want to see what you can do. *They’ll map things out and get back to the “start”* Ready? Darnell, why do you count us down? *so he doesn’t have the unfair advantage of knowing exactly when to go.*

Connor: *pleased little grin at that and nods - he'd like to see too*

Darnell: Sure. Hit it /on/ "go," okay? Three...two...one...GO! *sharp clap of his hands to help further accentuate*

Connor: *hesitates a split second to accommodate for a common length of human reaction time before taking off*

Ezrim: *takes off! He’s very skilled as he zips along, leaping obstacles, and just enjoying the /speed/!*

Jaya: I imagine so. Poor guy. I can't image how hard things are for him. I'm sure he'll really take time to deal with it when he doesn't have the focus of helping you two anymore.

Connor: ...I hope he finds a way to healthfully deal before then. He's decided that he will accompany me and Darnell and the women from the south, which will take him into contact with those on the outside.

Jaya: I just hope he doesn't do so alone.

Connor: I hope so too.

Jaya: You and Darnell are staying with him for now, right?

Connor: Sharing a hut with him, you mean? Yes.

Jaya: *nods* I hope he'll open up to one of you then. *and they've arrived.* Anyway, shall we? *motions at the building*

Connor: *nods* Hopefully. *nods and will lead the way*

Ezrim: *likely smells the cooking chicken about the same time Darnell does, and it at least pulls his attention up* Food?

Jaya: *snickers* Tell me you two have had lunch.

Ezrim: Of course we did. Doesn't mean I don't smell food, though. *grins.*

Connor: Yes, but statically-speaking, it's improbable enough that it shouldn't warrant concern.

Jaya: *claps his shoulder* I will say... sometimes fear isn't logical... and that's okay.

Connor: ........... *uncertain nod, quietly* Much like...any other emotion...?

Jaya: *chuckles* Yeah, pretty much. Emotions are not very logical... sometimes they're not logical at all.

Connor: *quiet...looks confused to the point of...troubled? dismayed? hard to say* Why is that? Do you know?

Jaya: ...No... Sometimes I think emotions are our way of reacting to something because it's not how we think it should be, or because it's different, for better or worse, from what we expected. I know that doesn't cover all emotions, and I know it doesn't really apply to all situations, it's... just a thought for some time.

Connor: ...I see…

Jaya: Heh. *gives Connor a companionable snug* Sorry. Honestly we spend most of our lives trying to figure out what we’re feeling, why, and working to feel something different much of the time. Sometimes what we feel is medical, sometimes what we feel is brought on by a mix of previous experiences and current events, like your... technically your predecessor’s... previous experience of falling and your current event of suddenly being much higher than you could go under your own power and with a complete lack of control over the situation. Sometimes what we feel is an instinctual reaction to something, like why rotting food disgusts us, we know it’s not safe and so our instincts to survive make certain we react with the appropriate emotion to ensure survival. For you? I don’t know if medical reasons or instinctual reasons would have anything to do with how you experience emotions or not, but the situational emotions based on past and present experiences? I can’t see how you’d not have those kinds of emotions. You have past experiences, depending on what they are a certain situation may bring back feelings of fear, or pride, or longing, joy, sadness, regret, and you have to work through the current situation and the past situation to determine if what you’re feeling makes sense. Does fear logically apply to this situation? Well... yeah, actually. Your past experience taught you that falling is bad, it can kill you, so being up high, with no control over how high or whether or not you’ll fall? Fear is logical. Just because I’m unlikely to drop you doesn’t mean it’s impossible, and it’s normal to consider those slim chances, consciously or not. What if I got shot by a hunter? Would I be able to hang onto you? What if I swallow a bug and start choking? Would I be able to hang onto you? What if I have a heart attack? Would I be able to hang onto you? Are any of those likely? No. But are they possible? Yes. That they’re possible is what brings out the fear, that they’re possible is what makes that fear logical, that they’re so unlikely to happen is what makes that fear illogical. Now you have to figure out how to work past that fear to let logic win out in your mind, which is a lot easier said than done, and all considering, you did a good job of it.

Jaya: Not a bad breakfast either. I’m impressed with your work.

Connor: *proud little grin* I'm glad you are pleased. Inami is a really good teacher.

Jaya: *grins* She really is. You going back out with her tonight?

Inami: Not that I’d turn you down, but I think you should join Jaya tonight. He’ll show you more about how to keep watch and scouting around.

Connor: I will go with whomever you both believe would be best.

Jaya: Well, if she thinks there's nothing more you can learn for hunting, then you'll join me tonight.

Connor: I am happy to learn anything you wish to teach me.

Jaya: *nods with a grin* I don't know how much more I can teach you, but at least you're help and company will be welcome.

Connor: I will be glad for your company as well, though I'm afraid I can't fly. *little grin*

Jaya: Oh, I'll help you with that. It's easy. *winks*

Connor: *blinks, headtilts* Oh? *really?? How?*

Jaya: *can't help a snerklaugh at Connor's clear cluelessness* Yeah. I take ya up and let go, just flap your arms real fast. *clearly joking.*

Connor: *LED flickers yellow as he processes that...and catches that it's a joke, little grin* I said I can't fly, Jaya. I'm well aware of how to /fall/. Though generally with less arm flapping.

Jaya: See? That’s your problem. Get the arms flapping and maybe falling won’t be such an issue.

Connor: *gives her a grin when she does* Better?
Inami: Better. Better for you? *is he doing better now?*
Connor: I am well, yes. *a beat, then* ...thank you.
Inami: You're /very/ welcome. *lightly bumps her shoulder to his*
Connor: *lightly bumps back*
Inami: *after she eats* All right. Let's grab some snares and I'll show you how to set them and how to find the best places to set them.
Connor: Yes, sounds good!
Inami: *nods and stands* C'mon.
Connor: *stands to follow*
Inami: *will lead Connor off to pick up the snares and then will head back out of Sanctuary to show him how to decide where to set a snare, and then how to actually set the things.*
Connor: *can see as they're doing so how it works and will even suggest tweaking it a little*
Inami: *sure, she'll let him do so. Why not?*
Connor: *will explain why as he does so - the angle is slightly better and the strength of the line means it can be a bit tauter*
Inami: *approves of the changes and will have him set a few in different places, only the first will she show him how to decide where to put it, the rest she’ll have him place where he chooses. She’ll head them back to Sanctuary then* We’ll give those a check in the morning. And don’t be discouraged if nothing is in them. Just because a snare is set, doesn’t mean it’ll end up catching anything.

*They'll chat a while longer, until they finally start pulling things together to head back to Sanctuary.*

*Darnell will go more into detail on things if asked, and they'll chat about things, and then clean up.*

*They'll all head back to Sanctuary. They've been out long enough they should go back and start making dinner.*

*Darnell will ask Terris to help him furnish his and Ezrim's (and Connor's) new home with food staples tomorrow, and for tonight teach him some more about food prep. Connor will hang around to learn too*

Terris: Gladly. *he'll actually let Darnell (and Connor) do all the work, standing back and directing instead tonight.*

*Both eagerly get to work.*

Terris: *teases that the ladies (including Jendayi) will be judging their efforts while they cook.*

Jendayi: *giggles* I bet they'll do great.

Connor: *gives her a grin* So long as you're happy, I'll call it a win.

Darnell: *small grin behind Connor's back - he really enjoys seeing his partner interact with the child, it brings out a side in the android that he's never seen...but /deeply/ approves of*

Ezrim: *sees Darnell's smile... and if Darnell looks at him, he'll share a smile with the detective.*

Jendayi: You’re cooking, of course I’ll be happy.

Connor: Essentially. I can explain if you'd like, though I suggest waiting till after we are settled. *nodding acknowledgment at Terris regarding his "come" comment*

Tuon: Fascinating.

Terris: *will lead them out of the ruins and to a nearby field, right now it’s just /FULL/ of wildflowers*

Jendayi: *gasps* Ooohhh!

Tuon: *can’t help glancing a smile at the child.*

*Just outside the building, Darnell and Jendayi were waiting with all the picnic stuff. No call lugging things down there only to lug them back up and out, right? Darnell will give Connor a clap on the shoulder, asking if they got much done and did he enjoy himself, then telling him about the new hut as the walk out to the field*

Darnell: */grins/ at Jendayi* Looks straight out of a fairy tale, doesn't it?

Connor: *looking around in appreciation . . . realizing this is a sight he's never seen for himself. He's never been outside of metropolitan areas till now.*

Jendayi: It’s so beautiful.

Terris: I thought this might be a nice place to picnic.

Tuon: It is a beautiful place for lunch.