[GP] Check-in Day

[st_oneswidow]

The wheel of the year turned and turned and Curnen found herself at an anniversary of sorts that she flatly didn't want to be remembering but got stuck on a loop of anyway.

This time there was no taking the hell off into the wilderness, though. Nor were there endless, circular recitations of "The Queen of Argyll." Rather than be poisoned by the memory of someone she still hated like everloving fuck, she focused on remembering the friend she'd lost. And besides this being Kash's song, she figured it was never a bad time around here for "John Barleycorn." Perched on the roof with her guitar, she sang of John Barleycorn's dying and rising again, subtle magic weaving into her voice to lead anyone lost in their little bubble world this way.

There was three men come out of the west their fortunes for to try,
And these three men made a solemn vow, John Barleycorn must die,
They ploughed, they sowed, they harrowed him in, threw clods upon his head,
And these three men made a solemn oath John Barleycorn was dead.

It was Kash's song, in her mind, but you talked to half the people around here and it wasn't a bad fit for them, either. From her vantage point, she watched the road.

Comments

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

“It is, and I am not.” An android such as this one might have experience with non-Terrans or might not, but he said himself he was built for investigation. Facts and deductions. Such things might be comforting for him, perhaps, allow him some familiarity while dealing with the Inn’s stark unfamiliarity.

Also, Xavin didn’t bother keeping his species a secret. It had yet to really impact him badly. Everyone had been willing to give him a chance. “I am a Skrull, from Tarnax VII in the Andromeda galaxy. We are shapeshifters, that is why I look human.”

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

"An alien." A god, now an alien? If this really was his world, there was no circumstance where the government could keep the existence of such beings suppressed while they idled their days away in a Californian hotel.

"It's not a question I usually ask, but another resident advised me not to...assume."

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

"It was good advice. Many here are not human or prefer not to think of themselves as such for some reason." Xavin nodded and sipped his coffee. "I understand if it is a lot to take in. Many get very drunk on their first night here, but that is not an option for you, I think."

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

Many here are not human or prefer not to think of themselves as such for some reason. Connor's LED flickered yellow for a brief moment--Loki had expressed a similar sentiment, though it didn't make much sense to Connor. You were human or you weren't. Lowering his eyes, he made an attempt to search the term "Skrull" or access the comprehensive map of known regions of space. He was met with another error. In keeping with the current trend, then.

In lieu of that, he entered his analytic space where time paused and he could operate in absolute focus. A few points of intrigue begged more attention, and he honed in on the drink that sat inches away. A solution of expresso, milk, heavy cream, and caramel syrup.

'Caffeine: 150mg. Sugars: 33mg. Total Fat: 7g. Total Carbohydrate: 12% DV. Conclusion: An ordinary latte.'

Next, the android honed in on the book Xavin was reading. 'Cover: Nondescript. Suggestive of mystery or romantic intrigue. Conclusion: Xavin enjoys written drama?'

Blinking, Connor re-entered the moment. The whole process took only microseconds at most. "A caramel macchiato, correct? I may not be able to drink, but I often see people walking around with them. Though, my partner only ever took his black."

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

"The caramel macchiato is humanity's greatest creation." Xavin nodded. Clearly Connor had very precise scanners, to discern the makeup of a coffee drink and work out what it must be by the proportions. "I believe it is possible that fewer species would attempt conquest if they experienced this beverage."

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

Connor had his clinical conclusions over why many humans craved caffeine and sugar on the daily--they were addictive, simply put. The precinct, as a collective, was completely dependent on the substances, and Connor had been on the receiving end of more than a few "Keurig" jabs when he made the mistake of acquiescing to a demand that he fetch one of the officers of a cup. He resorted to a brief nutrition lecture when someone made a similar demand with a maple bar afterwards.

Xavin, however, displayed a passion for the drink that Connor might have labeled as...reverent. "What do you find so enjoyable about it?"

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

"It is delicious and perfect. Hot beverages are comforting. This one is creamy without being thick, bitter without being overwhelming, sweet but not too much so." Xavin nodded. "It is perfectly balanced. And I mentioned delicious?"

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

"You did." He was aware 'flavor profiles' were a concept quite important in the culinary sense, and that was as far as that went. Tastes were subjective and dependent too many factors to easily quantify. Other than taste, it appeared Xavin respected it for its composition alone. That was something Connor could conceptualize.

"Is that why you set up shop here, then? You emphasized hot beverages being comforting." If food and drink as comfort were more universal than he'd thought, it stood to reason most new arrivals would appreciate having some close by.

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

"Yes. On arrival days, anyway. Most other days I have space in the library since books and coffee are a natural combination." Xavin smiled and gestured slightly at Connor where he sat. "And even those who do not want a hot beverage or cannot have one might appreciate the no-pressure company."

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

"I won't trouble you too much." Connor felt the need to clarify that hospitality wasn't a need for androids, though if nothing else he could be gracious about receiving it. It seemed the polite approach was best, here. But while he was still getting information...

"Are there any particular rules to be mindful of?"

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

"It is no trouble at all. I would not be here if I did not want company." It would be easy to hide in the library on arrival days, after all. "I would say 'do not cause trouble' but controlled trouble seems to be... perhaps not welcome but not a difficulty. Some time ago the floor was lava for most of a day, there was snow in December. You are police, you should not run into difficulties."

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

Snow in December was only irregular as far as it being coastal California, but that former remark--

"Lava, you say."

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

"I believe it was illusory, part of a game, but it seemed real enough to those who engaged." Xavin shrugged and offered a smile. "The game was fun. Days here will tend to blend together, so any novelty becomes precious."

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

"I imagine that could be the case, yes." Hospitality nor 'fun' were programmed needs of his, though humans and humanoid beings had a high enthusiasm for such--such was natural. Like watching the Detroit Gears. Or listening to Knights of the Black Death. Or visiting the Chicken Feed.

His LED flickered. He simulated a reality where Lieutenant Anderson was beside him, and the man was ordering a drip and likely nursing a hangover.

'What would you recommend, Lieutenant?'

'Well you can't work, and you can't be a pain in my ass. Get a decent hobby or something, kid.'

Then, Hank was gone. Yes, that was likely would the man would say. The Lieutenant was never supportive of the investigation to begin with. Though the simulated exchange was instantaneous, Connor was left staring silently to the side.

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

Xavin couldn’t have explained logically how he came to read Connor’s not-expression as sad, but he did. The little light flicker, then staring at an empty space as if someone else should be there. He understood that.

He also understood that Connor was a more classic android than Victor had been. He would respond politely to sympathy but admit no emotional reaction that might have provoked it. So Xavin didn’t offer one directly. “How do your olfactory sensors work?”

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

Once Xavin spoke back up, Connor adjusted his tie in a manner that could almost be read as sheepish. "Built for tracking. Being able to detect minute odor discriminations is useful in my line of work." The Lieutenant had likened him to a bloodhound once, a nickname he found preferable to the coffeemaker jokes. "However, unlike humans, it's not tied to taste. My mouth is only used for speech and bio-analyzation."

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

“Do you judge pleasant versus unpleasant? Is it tied to memory at all?” It occurred to Xavin that he didn’t even know how Skrull android servitors worked to this detail.

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

"I don't process disgust like humans, if that's what you're asking. Smell plays a role in my pattern recognition." Connor angled his head, straightening his cuffs on lap. He didn't eat, nor was he susceptible to disease. Possessing a sense of disgust was nothing but a barrier to accomplishing oftentimes grisly tasks. Perhaps this was a lead-in to an unsavory favor being asked?

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

How sad that his initial assumption had been that Xavin was inquiring about unpleasant smells. “I was not. I thought perhaps, since you can not eat or drink, something pleasant to smell would suit. Many teas are very pleasant-smelling.” Jasmine, for one. Various fruit-type teas. “But if there is no pleasant versus unpleasant scale for you it is perhaps not a good idea.”

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

Connor pressed his lips together. Xavin had, in fact, been trying to do him a favor rather than seeking one. It was...unexpected.

“It’s not a metric I use, no.” He affirmed, LED flickering. All his faculties were devoted to navigating this exchange. The only other soul to focus this much on him was Kamski himself. Connor was an object of utility, and one that could be replaced at any time. Nothing less and nothing more.

“...But, perhaps, you could show me.” He added after a pause.

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

"Of course." Xavin turned and dropped a jasmine tea bag into a mug, then poured hot water over it. Tea bags weren't the best tea, but if it was just aroma it would be fine. Jasmine tea smelled just like the flowers, so it seemed like a natural place to start.

Once the tea had steeped enough, he placed the mug in front of Connor. "There, try that."

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

The warm, volatile aroma compounds filled the air, and Connor inclined his head to give it a quiet whiff. Though he could parse out the quantities of certain ingredients--the caffeine from the green tea, benzyl alcohol, linalool, among others--the combination triggered a memory. Lieutenant Anderson, once again, this time hurrying ahead in a dogged refusal to keep pace with him despite the rain. They passed a coffee shop where a barista was offering 4 ounce samples of their new jasmine tea blend, and made a point of offering to some to the detective to calm his nerves. Naturally, it didn't work.

The mug was steaming, and after a quick assessment over the temperature, he stuck the tip of his finger in and pressed it to his tongue. A clearer picture of the chemical composition was painted for him, as well as a few potential sources of the ingredients based on the micronutrients. "Does your biology allow you to experience the same stimulant or relaxant effects of certain substances as humans?"

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

"I am a shapeshifter. When I am human, I am biologically indistinguishable from a human. When I am an object, I am indistinguishable from that object. In either case, I remain me as it is only my physicality that changes." It was, probably, a good thing that neither Xavin nor any of the Runaways he knew best (he remained unsure about Gert, dead so soon after he'd met her) were given to philosophy. The idea that Xavin still possessed a mind, consciousness, senses, and will while physically in a form that should possess none of those things might have been worrying.

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_abilitylost]

Connor took all that information in as a matter of course--one of his skills was swift adaptation, after all. "Are there limits on your ability to shapeshift?" Though, he was still given to some natural curiosity. He lightly tapped the rim of the mug, fingers and processors at work.

Re: Of Aliens & Androids

[st_artliving]

"Not really, no. In practice I mostly stick to this shape," Xavin shifted into her usual female form and, when it felt more like relaxing than flexing muscles, stayed there, "or this one. I believe humans and other fellow residents to be more comfortable when I blend this way."