[Voice Test] Connor & Peter - Seasons Greetings

[st_abilitylost]

Of every face that Connor’s internal database failed to recognize since the beginning of his short stay, the only source of familiarity was found in the inanimate statues of Mr. and Mrs. Claus mounted in the lobby. He recognzied then as symbols of generosity and goodwill towards all humanity, but something about the way the sculptor chose to craft their features seemed...off.

He didn’t have any business lingering and passing judgements on the craftsmanship but there was no lieutenant to bark at him for “spacing out” and it all left him at, for lack of a better phrase, a loss.

Comments

[st_arkintern]

"Ah!" It suddenly occurs to him that he hasn't even properly introduced himself. "Peter. Peter Parker. You can just call me Peter if you want."

[st_abilitylost]

"Good to meet you, Peter." Connor firmed up the handshake now that they could properly end it, summoning a genial tone, even if he had a harder time than usual doing so. Not only that, but words were hard to find outside the usual setting of crime scenes. A brief reassurance in his methodical prowess before moving on. Incompatible within this context, Connor.

"I may not be able to be of assistance with my usual investigative work, but I can make pleasant conversation." Another smile to match his words. This would do, right?

[st_arkintern]

"I'm sure you can find something to do," Peter says. "Everyone does. You'd probably go stir-crazy if you didn't."

Peter runs a hand through his hair. "What do you like to do?"

[st_abilitylost]

"I enjoy my work." Connor answered in a polite manner. Less technical than he oft was, but he was built to interface with humans where they were at. Every human was unique, after all. "I enjoy being of assistance where I can."

[st_arkintern]

Peter blinks at the response. It wasn't exactly what he was looking for. "You don't have any hobbies? Drawing? Watching movies? Cooking?"

[st_abilitylost]

Work wasn't the same as a hobby, Connor was aware, but humans had their need for leisure. Hank had his love of heavy metal, basketball, and physical books...among other things. The extent he'd observed the lieutenant simply going about his business could be argued as a hobby in and of itself, though Connor was simply fulfilling an internal directive to ingrain himself in whatever dynamic he'd been assigned to.

What frivolous activities did he partake in that would satisfy Peter's questions? He silently appealed to his memories of the lieutenant when something came to him--

"I like dogs."

[st_arkintern]

Dogs are not a hobby, but Peter's pretty sure he's not going to get anything better from him. That's okay. He's okay with that.

"I like dogs, too. I wanted one growing up, but I never had one. My Aunt May's apartments were always too small for them." Aunt May (not May), he says -- just so he knows she's a relative.

[st_abilitylost]

"Neither did I. There are androids who dog sit, oftentimes the house keeping models. The only time I've gotten to interact with a dog was during a house visit to my partner." Sumo, even wary of Connor as he initially was, was rather charming and quite intelligent to grasp his intentions for the break-in fairly quickly. It wasn't difficult to see what humans saw in their canine companions.

[st_arkintern]

Peter can't imagine life with one dog interaction total.

"Miguel -- he's another kid here -- has a dog named Dante," he says. "I'm sure if you wanted to play with him, Miguel would be happy to loan him to you for a few hours." Dante was full of energy; Peter was sure that it probably got exhausting entertaining a dog that energetic sometimes.

[st_abilitylost]

Instantaneously, Connor entered his analytic space. There were no traces of dog fur in the carpet fibers, but there particles of dander floating on the air. Pinpointing one such particle caught in the sun, he ran a scan of its makeup. The genetic markers for the Xoloitzcuintle were a 96% match.

"Ah. A Mexican Hairless Dog. My partner's dog is a Saint Bernard. Thank you for the recommendation, Peter."

[st_arkintern]

Peter looks around, expecting to see Dante running around the inn, as he often did; there's no sight or sound of Dante, though, and Peter's gaze turns back to Connor, perplexed.

"How did you know?"

[st_abilitylost]

"I'm optimized for forensic investigation, among other things. Biological traces don't escape my notice easily." Connor winked at the boy, adjusting his tie once more. "If I wanted to track this dog down, I could easily reconstruct his movements and pinpoint his location."

[st_arkintern]

Peter huhs softly at that.

"What about non-biological things?" he asks. "Can you track other androids, too?" He's sure if they left some sign, like footprints, he'd be able to track them. But androids don't have fingerprints and they don't have blood. At least he thinks Vision doesn't have blood. He never thought to ask.

[st_abilitylost]

"Androids from my world," That distinction still felt odd to say, "Have internal structures called biocomponents. These are synthetic organs roughly analogous to human organs. Data and energy circulates our systems via a liquid substance called Thirium 310. It's quite similar to blood in its function. It can be lost with external damage. Enough spilled, the android may experience shut down. Each model can be uniquely identified by their Thirium 310 as well."

There was no trace of such a substance anywhere at this hotel--or any other android markers for that matter. Connor had scrutinized the area harder than usual for it, to boot. Connor's express subtly hardened. "My task is to assist in criminal investigations involving androids specifically."

[st_arkintern]

Peter listens, storing away this information for later. He looks over at the Mr. and Mrs. Clause, at their weirdly smiling faces.

"We only really had two androids that I know of," he says, thinking of Ultron. "Vision, he's one of the good guys. I fought with him once." Alongside him. Not against him. "Then there was Ultron. He tried to destroy the Earth until the Avengers stopped him."

He was probably the closest thing they had to an android criminal. An android war criminal.

[st_abilitylost]

Vision. Ultron. Avengers. Destruction of Earth. Connor squinted as he put these oddly shaped pieces together. Never before had an android posed a worldwide existential threat to his own experience. This boy’s world boasted android terrorists of the highest magnitude.

“I’m sorry. You said you fought an android posing a global threat?”

[st_arkintern]

"No, no, no," Peter says quickly, holding his hands up in front of him. "Ultron -- I didn't have my powers then. I wasn't one of the Avengers."

He is now, though.

[st_abilitylost]

“What do you...avenge?” Were this back in his Detroit, he would have diagnosed the boy as delusional and referred him to a mental health treatment facility of his affordability. The unique situation being what it was, it wasn’t logical to just write him off.

[st_arkintern]

"We don't really avenge anything," Peter says, and for the first time he really thinks about the name and wonders how anyone came up with it. Avengers. Why did he never really think about the meaning of that name until now? "We just fight bad guys. We're um." Suddenly, Peter feels embarrassed admitting it and he's not even entirely sure why.

"We're superheroes."

[st_abilitylost]

Connor merely stared at his current conversation partner, looking up and down at him.

Superheroes. Popular fictional genre. Conventions include super powered heroes and antagonists, secret identities, and speculative elements relating to ethical and moral dilemmas.

"I see." Connor replied politely and attentively, observing Peter's awkward shuffling about. "That's very impressive at your age, Peter."

[st_arkintern]

"Um," Peter says, because he's pretty sure that Connor is patronizing him. Maybe he thinks he's lying. Peter's not sure, but he's trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Want me to show you?"

[st_abilitylost]

Connor adjusted his cuffs. “I ask you don’t use violence against my person. I’m not programmed to harm humans but I will defend myself.”

[st_arkintern]

"No, no, I wasn't going to," Peter says quickly. Did people generally hurt androids? Peter doesn't know. Instead, he steps back, and back, and back again, and surveys the area. Then satisfied, he races forward, then launches himself up onto the ceiling where he easily sticks to the bright pink surface.

Peter turns to look down at Connor and smiles, then waves. "See?"

[st_abilitylost]

The moment Peter started in, Connor preconstructed each potential movement. A tackle? A feint? Some attack with a hidden weapon? In a split second, Connor had the option to dodge, retaliate, or keep still--and he opted to do the latter in a show of good faith. In the next moment, Connor felt it fortuitous he chose to observe, as the boy sprung up at the ceiling in an utterly unanticipated move, and his eyes caught every movement. Connor appeared as baffled as he ever would as he stared back up.

And then, just so he could be sure his visual processing units weren't malfunctioning, he self-scanned and then reconstructed the great leap on loop several times.

Connor cleared his throat. No malfunctions here. He ran the visual data through his usual process of analyzation. "Enhanced speed, strength, dexterity, shock resistance...potentially the ability to alter the inter-atomic interactions between yourself and external surfaces. Is that accurate?"

[st_arkintern]

"Yeah, that all sounds right," Peter says, still looking down at Connor. "I also use my web-shooters."

Peter demonstrates; he turns his hand knuckle face-forward and slings his fingers out. With a flick of the wrist, Peter sends a shot of web fluid at a wall. It stretches long against it in a classic spider's web shape.