ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ

[formidable]

Androids, psychics, magic, investigations, and finding out how to human. ➢ Cool Mood Music No. 1 ➤ Cool Mood Music No. 2

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rip

[determinare]

[It’s hard to miss when Lien’s making an entrance.

Connor retracts his hand, but not in an embarrassed, surprised way. He merely turns his head to spot Lien in the doorway, and he straightens. He turns to look at her, clasping his hands behind his back.

He blinks at her, and it’s very obvious that he’s not at all put-off by her arrival. He’s probably even completely oblivious to what she could be talking about, made obvious by his question:]

Hello, Lien. What moment?

[psychometer]

... Man.

You know, if I didn't know that you were an android and I didn't read your memories, I would almost think you were trying to pretend you weren't doing anything fishy.

[Not that it doesn't help his case but]

Connor. What you were doing is what we humans call, "A Moment."

... Anyways, did you put her to bed? Thanks!

[At least she can deduce that, she's actually an investigator after all!]

[determinare]

I did. I came to visit, but she was feeling ill. I offered to bring her to her bed; apparently, she needed the sleep very badly. She has a cough and she's running a fever. 101.1 degrees Fahrenheit.

[But he still feels like he's missing something here.]

A "moment" of care-taking, you mean?

[How was that suspicious? He didn't understand.]

[psychometer]

101.1 degrees? Yeesh!

[Lien moves past Connor to her own hand over Ai's forehead. It's burning for real and she then quickly moves to the bathroom across from the bedroom to turn on the water and soak a white face towel with ice cold water. Wringing it, she calls to Connor.]

How'd you check her temp? Just a scan right?

[determinare]

…No.

[There’s the smallest moment of hesitation before he calls out in return, because Connor knows that he’s probably committed some sort of faux pas. (Even if he doesn’t understand all of its implications.)]

I put my finger under her tongue.

[psychometer]

[The second he confesses, there's a good 30-second pause with the sound of running water between the two of them. Lien turns off the water, wrings the towel and goes back to put the towel on Ai's forehead.

And THEN she looks at Connor with disbelief.]

BUT WHY?

[determinare]

[To him, this loop of logic is pretty straightforward?! Again, humans and mouths.... weird.]

To take her... temperature?

[But now he sounds unsure, THANKS FOR THAT.]

[psychometer]

Connor.

[Hands are taking his shoulders.]

Buddy.

[She looks at him seriously.]

I've seen what those fingers touched. The thought of you putting those in her mouth is gonna make me break out into sickness too.

[determinare]

[He raises his head ever so slightly, chin tilting up as he looks at her.]

I washed my hands, Lien. I'm not that thoughtless.

[A beat.]

And it was a finger. Not multiple.

[psychometer]

That doesn't make it better, oh my god.

[determinare]

I apologized for being... invasive, so you don't need to worry about that. But I still don't understand why it was such an issue at the time.

[And now it's being brought up again!]

[psychometer]

[She opens her mouth to speak, but Ai is stirring in her sleep, so Lien tugs at Connor's sleeve and motions for him to go to the kitchen with her.]

C'mon, we're gonna wake her up at this rate. Besides, I wanna catch up since she got you all to herself the last few times you visited.

[determinare]

[ ...

Connor exhales, and nods. He'll be quiet until they're out in the hallway, and even then his voice remains hushed. At least until they reach the living room.]

You missed the pizza. But you probably already know about that by now.

[psychometer]

Guh! You're right. And she probably ate it all, dammit!

[The differences between Ai and Lien are so stark, so it's funny seeing the former's identical face swearing and animatedly starting on the pile of dishes that need to be cleaned.]

Oh well. Just bring one next time and write my name on it. She won't be as inclined to eat it.

[determinare]

I'll be sure to do so the next time I visit.

[Now he moves next to her, curious.]

Do you need help? I can dry the dishes and put them away.

[psychometer]

Hm? Oh, sure. Kitchen towels are on the oven handle.

[The sink gets nice and soapy and she starts soaking some old dishware.]

... Anyway. The finger thing.

[determinare]

[After he's grabbed the towels, he'll dry the clean dishes whenever one is ready for him. His gestures are even and rhythmic, done with ease.]

...I know I should've asked first.

[psychometer]

Look, I'll just get straight to it.

[She shakes soap soaked fork at him as she gives an explanation.]

Putting fingers in someone's mouth is considered sexual. It's a sex thing. Although with you two, it probably looked really goddamned goofy.

1/2

[determinare]

[The plate slips out of the towel, landing on its edge and starts rolling off the counter.]

Damn it-

[Connor's reflexes are at least quick enough to catch it before it lands on the ground and shatters. He then turns his head to look at Lien.]

[determinare]

It's what? [No wonder Ai reacted how she did. That makes sense now, and it's all so... strangely...

He doesn't even have words for it. Embarrassing? Disconcerting? But she forgave him, so obviously he didn't cross too big of a line-- maybe.]

That isn't... That is to say, that was not at all my intention.

[Hell.]

[psychometer]

Ah ha.

[She hands him the clean fork.]

Your capacity for natural reactions is pretty good. Kudos.

[determinare]

[oh my god]

That isn't the point.

[He continues to dry the dish. Several times.]

I think I should apologize to her again. I didn't know. How was I supposed to know? Humans have a strange relationship with what goes in their mouths. Ai probably believes me to be some kind of...

[A pause.]

Deviant. In the other way.

[psychometer]

Listen. If she was mad at you, you would have been thrown against the wall. I'm pretty sure Ai realizes you didn't know any better after you did that.

[She motions with the fork again, TAKE IT]

I mean, you're an android that's effectively a police investigator. You might be AWARE of that behavior, but it stands to reason that you wouldn't realize that what you do as part of analyzation, might be misconstrued as something else entirely.

[determinare]

[Slowly sets the dry plate aside and tAKES THE FORK, FINE]

That's true, and yet I still need to apologize. For my relatively careless behavior.

[Drying the fork.]

She should have said something to me. All she mentioned was that it was "invasive".

[psychometer]

Listen... Connor. If you've been spending all this time with her whenever you visit, you should realize by now that she's a little...

[Lien pauses.]

Shy? I'd say innocent or clueless, but I'd be underestimating her. She's just not as blunt as I am.