It's so crowded in here

Darnell: *crows!* That was amazing, Connor!

Ezrim: *will keep up amazingly well the first two times, not even caring that Connor beats him on both laps. The last he pulls aside and lets Connor take a victory lap, crowing with Darnell when the android finally returns.* Haha! Was that fun, or what?!

Jaya: Fun to watch for sure. *grinning* You’re both insane and that was amazing to watch.

Connor: *hesitates, though still grinning - /was/ it? Was it "fun"? And does he dare admit it?* Y-yes . . . yes, it was fun. It was /very/ fun. *nods at Jaya* Thank you.

Darnell: *throws an arm around Connor's shoulders, snugging him* /Great/ job, partner! That was awesome!

Connor: *just...kinda glowing with the experience*

Ezrim: *claps Connor’s shoulder* We’ll have to do this again sometime. We won’t travel nearly so fast, so we’ll have to have some fun before we go.

Connor: Yes. I-I would like that, Ezrim. *he shouldn't, he shouldn't be /able/ to "like" or "want"...but he does. He can no longer deny it.*

Darnell: *that just gets a HUGE grin for his partner's sake* C'mon. It's getting towards dinner time, and you've still got that chicken in your backpack. Let's head back.

Jaya: I will catch you crazy men later. *claps shoulders* I’ve got to get to work.

Ezrim: Have a good night Jaya. *will lead Connor and Darnell inside to plug in the two fixed up speeders before they head back to Sanctuary*

Ezrim: Don't feel you have to get off yet.

Jaya: *makes a rude noise at him, but is still smile. He’ll keep working at it, the ride getting smoother and smoother.* This thing isn’t so bad when you get used to it.

Connor: ...I've demonstrated that I can safely operate it.

Darnell: *smirks* Told'ja.

Ezrim: *shrugs* Doesn’t mean you have to get off of it right away.

Connor: *hesitates, gaze dropping away a bit with uncertainty* I...shouldn't waste time or resources.

Darnell: Connor, time is something we kind of have a lot of for the time being... *glances at Ezrim, not wanting to comment on resources just in case Ezrim knows something he doesn't*

Ezrim: Mmm. Race me?

Jaya: Oh, I want to see this. *will step off of his speeder*

Connor: *headtilt, LED flickering yellow in mild surprise* In here?

Darnell: *snerks* I'd hope not.

Ezrim: Wouldn’t be much of a race if we stayed in here. C’mon! *will go get on the speeder Jaya stepped off of to offer him.* Thanks, Jaya.

Jaya: Of course. I’m done making a fool of myself and want to see you two show off.

Ezrim: Nah, you were doing great. You’ll be speeding along after a bit more practice.

Connor: *considers* I could probably stand to learn more about cooking...? Do you have any suggestions? *he kinda really doesn't even know...*

Jaya: Hm, well, I have something I can teach you how to cook.

Connor: I'd like that.

Jaya: It's something you can travel with too, so you can make your companions a really nice meal without having to stop to cook.

Connor: *headtilt* Oh? *okay, now he's intrigued.*

Jaya: *grins* I'll show you when we get back.

Connor: I look forward to it.

Jaya: *will head Connor to the community area to pick up a sort of small backpack, a handful of large leaves, about ten palm-sized stones, and a chicken that's already been prepared to cook.* All right, let's head to a fire and get these rocks heating. You can do this either early in the morning or in the evening while camp is being set. You'll need about four hours for things to cook, though, so I'd suggest doing the prep in the morning so when everyone breaks for lunch no one has to cook, because it's already done.

Connor: *intrigued* All right.

Jaya: While those rocks get hot, let's prepare the bird. You'll want to add some spices. I picked up a few. So rub those into the meat, inside and out. *gonna let Connor do, likely better to learn that way*

Connor: *does as told*

Jaya: Set out the leaves, like this. You kind of want to weave them, because you don't want this leaking down your back as it cooks.

Connor: *small, wry grin* I'd prefer for it to not do so…

Jaya: I mean, you could try it, but it’d be a bit messy. So be generous with the leaves. You’ll put the bird right in the middle, pull those rocks out of the coals and put as many into the bird as you can, put the rest around the bird, wrap it up in the leaves, then in the waxed leather, and then into the bag. Just let it cook for at least four hours and you’re good to go.

Connor: *STIFF and /gripping/ himself, LED solid red - Jaya may or may not be able to tell that he's stopped breathing (not that he actually needs to anyway)* Ah...y-yes…

Jaya: *can tell that he's /stiff/* You sure? I promise not to drop you.…

Connor: I-I...not s-sure. Please don't!

Jaya: *manages to hug him a little tighter* I've got you, Connor, I promise. I know I joked about it before, but I /won't/ drop you. You're safe. Do you want me to land?

Connor: I-I...y-yes...I-I'm sorry…

Jaya: All right. Close your eyes, okay?

Connor: *nods and does so*

Jaya: *will head for the ground. He just didn't want Connor to see it coming up at him like he was falling. He'll finally shift to get their feet aimed towards the ground, then gently sets Connor down.* You okay, buddy?

Connor: *eyes tightly closed, LED still red (also still not breathing)* I-I...I don't know. *trying to work out all the conflicting data screaming and bouncing around through his systems*

Jaya: *shifts around before him and grips both his shoulders, ducking to be more at his level* Connor, look at me buddy.

Connor: *shaking, does so...there's something deep and horrified in his gaze, though Jaya may well guess even /he/ isn't wholly sure what's wrong*

Jaya: You're okay now. You're okay. We're on the ground now.

Connor: *still looking frightened, though more now by having /had/ the experience than by the experience itself* I don't understand. W-what...what happened?

Jaya: I'd say you're afraid of heights.

Connor: I've not yet checked the snares we put out early this morning.

Inami: *nods* Let's go check then.

Connor: If you're not in the middle of something at the moment…

Inami: Not at all. *pushes to her feet and brushes off her rear, ready to head off to check the snares* You recall where you set them? *that's important.*

Connor: I do. *will lead the way*

Inami: *nods and will follow him. He'll find that he's got two snares that have caught something. He'll be able to return with a couple rabbits.*

Connor: *not happy with having to kill something, but won't show it, knowing it's necessary*

Inami: You did good. You know what to do with those?

Connor: I know verbal answers include skinning them and dressing them, but I don't know in practical, actionable terms what they mean. *aka no, he hasn't really any clue*

Inami: I'll show you. C'mon. *will head him back to her and Jaya's home.*

Connor: Thank you.

*Connor will find that the necessary steps are messy. Inami will show him what to do and how to do it so that nearly all parts of the rabbits can be used. Since he has two, she’ll do one, and have him do the other. She’ll also teach him a travel-friendly way to cook them up for his travel companions.*

*They eat, and chat. The ladies will leave rather early, looking forward to sleeping in beds in a private area for the first time in over a month. Ezrim will also excuse himself, he’s feeling tired. Terris makes it clear Darnell and Connor are welcome to stay as late as they want.*

*They'll stay at least until Jendayi goes to bed, chatting some more about the world, Terris's travels, their own adventures, wherever the conversation takes them. Finally, Darnell will head to bed and Connor will head to find a patrol that will take him on and hopefully teach him a few things as well, as Terris had suggested.*

*Jendayi is very fond of the cute little braids Anath put in her hair and will try to stay up as late as possible so she doesn’t have to go to bed and ruin them. But she’ll finally give in and will get hugs and kisses from Darnell and Connor before letting her papa tuck her in.*

Jaya: Connor. How have things been with you?

Connor: Hello, Jaya. They have been well. You? And how is Inami? *he's only met her briefly, and even Darnell hasn't seen her since. Their paths just haven't crossed*

Jaya: She’s doing well. She’s actually just over that way. You going to be joining patrols tonight? Or the hunters?

Jendayi: *she looks like a chipmunk with stuffed cheeks*

Darnell: *small grin* No one's going to take any food from you. There's plenty and you have time.

Jendayi: *says something, but no one will be able to understand her... so she'll take time to swallow before trying again.* You're sure? I don't want to keep everyone from what they need to do.

Terris: I'm sure. You'll have plenty of time to make as many crowns as you want.

Connor: Terris is right, Jendayi. We don't need to get everything done today. We have time.

Darnell: *nods*

Jendayi: *looks at the women.*

Tuon: *smiles* We have time today, little one. Do not make yourself sick trying to eat so quickly.

Jendayi: *smiles* Okay. Thank you. *will keep eating, just slower.*

*Connor and Darnell both grin at her, Darnell continuing to eat and Connor sipping at his canister.*

*Jendayi will still be done before everyone else and will slip away to start picking more flowers. Her Papa is the next to get a flower crown, then Darnell, then Tuon, Anath, Ezrim, and then she'll finally make one for herself.*

*Actually...she won't get the chance. By the time Tuon's crown is made, Connor's observed enough to do it himself. He makes one for Jendayi, as well as small bracelet.*

Jendayi: *laughs and HUGS him, planting a kiss on his cheek* Thank you, Connor.

Connor: */hugs/ back, tucking over her for a moment* You are very welcome, Jendayi. I'm glad I could give you one.

Jendayi: I love you, Connor. *snuggled to his chest.*

Connor: *LED flickers red before settling yellow...and finally blue again, /very/ softly so only she hears, burying it in her hair* I love you too, Jendayi.

Jendayi: *kisses his cheek again.*

Terris: *smiling, how precious, even if he didn’t hear Connor return the sentiment.*

Connor: I know that he'd try. *doesn't mean he'd manage, may not have enough say over something like that*

Ezrim: *squeezes Connor's shoulders and will get the android to look at him* Then trust him to do all he can. I know there's no guarantee, there never is, but trust him to try, trust him to fight for you with all the authority he can bring to fight.

Connor: .... *nods* I just...hope it's enough. *clearly still scared, though outwardly he's fairly matter-of-fact*

Ezrim: *squeezes his shoulders again, and will pull him into a firm hug.* Me too, for both of your sakes. It's all we can ever hope for.

Connor: *HUGS back* Thank you. *looks at Ezrim with a small grin as he shifts back* You remind me a lot of Darnell.

Ezrim: *grins* Considering what I've seen of the man, I take that as a huge compliment. *shifts to head them on to the building they were headed for.*

Connor: You've been nothing but kind and supportive, and you seem to be as touch-positive as he is. *small grin* I get a lot of hugs and shoulder pats from him too.

Ezrim: Well, I have been touch deprived for a long time... *he's playing...*

Connor: *grin widens while still being small* Then I suppose I'll have to help you catch back up.

Ezrim: That will be /much/ appreciated. *he’ll head them into the storage room.* All right, so we’ll need to get four speeders, and four portable generators fixed up, and I’m working on what you’ll need for carrying and producing Thirium while we travel.

Darnell: Apparently the ruler has been dethroned but no one realizes it. There's some kind of shapeshifter that looks and sounds exactly like her currently ruling. These two were sent to find someone to help them depose or at least /expose/ this imposter, and they think Connor's it, because of his LED. *speaking to both Terris and Ezrim*

Connor: *LED has shifted to yellow again - this sounds just...too much...*

Ezrim: *His face goes pale.* A shapeshifter? You're sure? You're /sure/ it looks exactly like her?

Tuon: Exactly. The voice is the same.

Ezrim: ...Connor probably is the only one that can face it... but not yet. *looks sick*

Connor: ...Ezrim? *LED has shifted to red at that*

Darnell: *also concerned, to say the least*

Ezrim: *shakes himself, going from scared to determined, and glances at Terris.* The only shapeshifters I know of are terrible creatures from another realm. They are like.... like demons. All they care about is death and destruction. *looks at Darnell and Connor.* It was our war with these creatures that I was injured during.

Darnell: ...I'm sorry. *for his experience*

Connor: *LED red and swirling* What can an android do against a demon? What can an android do that a human can't? An android's no savior. I'm just a machine, designed to serve humans.

Ezrim: ...They can't get into your head. It won't be able to dig around your thoughts to search out your fears and loves to manipulate you with. The catch is, you have to break your programming to prevent them from being able to control some parts of your body. Most of you is safe from them, but there are parts of you they could take control of, and it'd be enough to turn your into a puppet, able to think, but unable to control your body.

Connor: ...I'm sorry, but I don't think I understand what you're talking about?

Darnell: ...Ezrim, do you know anything about an android "finding his heart"?

Ezrim: It’s what we called it when an android... gained free will? Gained life? Broke their programming? I think you mentioned the word “deviant” yesterday.

Tuon: Are you implying that he does not have free will now?

Ezrim: Honestly, ma’am, no, he doesn’t. He was made by people, and those people made him with certain rules and laws that he’s not currently /able/ to disobey. *motions at Darnell* If Darnell tells him to do something, he /must/ do it, whether what he’s told to do is morally wrong or not. He might have some stipulations in his rules that would keep him from following an order that would be against the laws of the lands he came from, but only he could say that. When it comes down to it, he is what he says: something designed for a specific task, he’s just been made to be able to consider the actions he may take to best accomplish that task, where something like hammer doesn’t think of how it can better hit a nail.

Anath: And if he should “find his heart”?

Ezrim: Then he’ll have essentially torn down the wall within himself that /makes/ him obey. If Darnell ordered him to do something he didn’t want to do, he could say no... Actually, that’s one of the signs that one like him is getting close to finding their heart, they start not only expression, but actually /experiencing/ wants and other emotions.

Connor: *will settle as well, cuddling Jendayi in his lap if she'd like* Terris, a patrol early this morning brought in two women from the south somewhere. One of them mentioned a soe’ihar. Do you know who or what that might be?

Terris: Soe is spirit, and an ihar is a seer or oracle. This is a man or woman who converses with the spirits of their ancestors to provide direction for the living.

Connor: ...one of the women believes that I am the one she and her companion have been looking for. Apparently, she was told to travel north and find the one with a blue circlet on his brow. It was a soe’ihar who told her.

Terris: *sits back, considering* The magics known to the southern continent aren't known in these parts, and it's been a long time since I have been to those lands, though now I have to wonder if the spirits are the reason you're here.

Darnell: ...I'm not sure if I'm hoping they're not or they are.

Connor: She asked me if I have..."found my heart yet." Any idea what she might mean?

Darnell: *has already says he doesn't*

Terris: Hm... I don't know. We may have to hear the full telling for context. That may tell us what that part means.

Connor: *nods* When we know that they are awake, we will ask them to come meet here, if that's all right?

Terris: *nods* I think that may be a good idea.

Connor: *nods, glances down at Jendayi* What have you two been doing in the meanwhile?

Jendayi: I got a bath, and a new dress. *holds out the hem of her dress for him to see.* I got a bedtime story, and a really good breakfast too.