littleconnor | OPEN POST

It's awkward, navigating Detroit as an android. Well, as a much older, "inferior" model. One running even after three and a half decades of being operational. Fortunately, Callias passes off as human in more ways than one, including the fact that his breath gives off steam in the chilly winter air (in spite of his lack of need for it.)

What really gets to him, some days, is the vacant look in so many of the androids' eyes. They remind him of himself when his own coding hadn't organically matured (as it was programmed to do.)

But one catches his eye, and it's hard to say exactly why that is.

Maybe it's the way he looks, or the fact that he's incredibly small. Dirty-red glass eyes hone in on him, his perplexion obvious. In a place of large androids, and large people, why would an android be small? Unable to resist the pull of his coded curiosity, he approaches, but words aren't coming.

He's an inferior model, unable to scan anything in detail by sight, sound, or by any other means.

"Um... hello there. Might I ask why you're so tiny?"

Right, good way to open things up.

...Hopefully he's not scanned too thoroughly. Hell, his metal-reinforced limbs are a dead giveaway in front of magnets or x-rays. The rest of him is synthetic-organic - with organs in the same place as a human body that, theoretically, could be removed to help an actual human.

Still, at a glance, he looks, sounds, and feels human in many ways.

Inferior, perhaps, in some ways, but the androids in Detroit haven't been equipped with scanners. They're identified purely by the neon blue band and triangles on their clothes and by the LED on their left temple.

Since the new android has none of those, Connor doesn't immediately notice any difference in him and the humans around them. In fact, until he was approached, he hadn't really noticed him at all, more focused on his task.

That question has Connor looking up at him, little hands adjusting his tie. It's almost comical, the sight.

"CyberLife believed that a child model Connor might have more advantages in my work with the police. More people are willing to associate with me than with the standard RK800 model."

Honestly, the only really stark thing about him is the rather machine-like prosthetic that makes up the majority of his right forearm, though only the shiny black metal hand is visible.

Rather than comical, the almost reflexive-looking gesture is rather endearing.

"That's..." Callias squints a bit at the thought. "bizarre."

Okay, the police, huh? Better be careful. Sure, his ID wasn't fake, but he didn't want to give any reason to... find him suspicious.

"Ah, sorry, I don't mean to imply that you're bizarre. Just, the decision to downsize you is strange to me."

But he knows that he's lucky to have such an opinion, even knowing how fickle humans can be over even their own kind.

"Do you enjoy being this size?"

Connor's head tilts to the side just slightly. Is it so bizarre? He knows there are child model androids on the market but they aren't the most common. There are only a few he sees in his daily routine. Or perhaps weekly would be more accurate.

"You don't have to apologize." He blinks up at him, letting out a little sigh. Though the breath isn't visible like Callias'. Even with the pains CyberLife went through to ensure their androids were as human-like as possible.

"I haven't considered whether I enjoy it or not. CyberLife believed the advantages more numerous. However, it is inconvenient that I need assistance reaching certain places. And have difficulty keeping pace with my partner."

"Mm. That seems pretty disadvantageous, especially when you're working with the police."

Inner workings whirring away, silently, he contemplates things for a moment. There's the impulse to pick Connor up, and see how much he weighs compared to the strength of his synthetic muscles.

Dammit, his curiosity is going to get him killed one day.

"Bet you'd be cuter at your full height."

He flashes a cheeky grin, eyes crinkling in mirth.

"Anyway, let me know if you want any help for anything height-wise? I'm pretty tall, after all." What was Connor doing, anyway...?

They're not the only ones that think so either, he's sure. It's annoying to have to depend on Hank to get him into chairs back at the police department. And he's not overly fond of leaving Hank to chase after any of the deviants because he can't move as quickly.

"Cuter?" If he could blush, he would. If he had any kind of ego, he might have stuttered a bit as well. Being cute- he knew some people enjoyed the company and friendship of their androids. Kamski is a good example of that.

"I couldn't tell you if my standard model is cuter. I'm sure we could find a reference photo of another RK800 model for you to judge, if you like."

"Eh, maybe later. It wouldn't be you, though."

There's the urge to pat his head, ruffle his hair, he doesn't. Instead, he finds the closest place to sit down near him, clasping his hands together absently so it's easier for them to be at a mutual eye level. He feels the way his prosthetic clicks uncomfortably in response to the simple motion, the nerves within it wired to his main sensors giving off a sense of discomfort.

He ignores it for now. Repairs can come later. It's not like it's a repair he can fix on his own, anyway.

"I have a bad habit of flirting with people, I guess. Just out of wanting to provoke a reaction." More like he knew, but he didn't really care to not flirt. From the way Connor talks, he can tell he's speaking with an intelligent adult-like person. Android or not.

It wouldn't be him? That didn't make sense to him. His memories would be uploaded into the older model Connor.

The prosthetic does draw his attention and it still doesn't quite register to him that this person is another type of android. CyberLife ensures their androids are as human-like as possible. Did he go to some other country for a prosthetic?

"Ah, I see. Even if I were the standard RK800, I'm afraid flirting might not receive quite the reaction you expect. I am an android, after all."

That just prompts Callias to laugh a little, and a slight softening of his gaze.

"Being an android or not-- well, I guess it all has to do with coding." Folding one leg over the other, idly twiddling his fingers, he looks down to the metal of his hand, flexes it slightly.

"There's a type of model in existence that has naturally self-programming and self-editing coding, did you know? Capable of not only logical thought, but emotional thought and expression as well. Their mental capacities, however, are... not as advanced as CyberLife models.

"They have coding that more closely replicates human development from the toddler stage onward, and life cycle. I think for a lot of people, however, they'd find the burden of raising such an AI to be... too troublesome than it's worth.

"And most people seem pretty damn lazy these days. So I guess that's why Hybrid Children aren't trending here, either."

Never mind that he is one and is skirting a very fine line right now. But what's this small model going to do, arrest him? He can pass most basic "are you human" checks without batting an eye, and from what he can tell, his physical strength rivals CyberLife models as well.

"If you met such an android, what's your thought about it? Hypothetically speaking."

Billy usually keeps his head down while going about his daily business in the city. It's early afternoon and he's on the way home from school, but his mind's still whirling a mile a minute. It's time to begin senior projects, and he has his mind made up: he'd like to interview the local androids.

As he walks, his backpack jingles with the sounds of the tools he always carries next to his books. Just a little further and he can start at the library, but---as always, a flashy billboard catches his attention. It's a CyberLife advertisement. There are so many different models, all with different specialties.

He smiles to himself, pulls his backpack up, then yelps as he just barely swerves out of a small person's way. Billy re-adjusts his askew glasses, takes a step back, and looks: it's a boy, wearing a crisp suit and a telltale armband: an android.

"I'm sorry, are you all right? I can develop terrible tunnel vision sometimes."

Connor tries swerving out of Billy's way as they're walking but his smaller legs made the attempted adjusted more clumsy that it might otherwise have been. And because of that, he stumbles and falls. The worst he ends up with is a 'cut' on his chin and a little dribble of blue blood.

When he stands, he straightens his little suit and flashes Billy a smile. And he can't help but think he looks young. Perhaps it's why he apologized to him? Although child models usually did garner more sympathy.

"I'm fine. I'm more worried I may have caused you to harm yourself. Should I call someone?"

Billy is almost immediately beside himself with worry. His first meaningful opportunity to meet an android in a while comes up, and what does he do? Hurt him. He sees that thirium leak and cringes a little.

"No, it's all right. I'm a little tougher than I look, but you're leaking thirium," Billy says, immediately plunging a hand into his backpack. "I don't have any specialized repair tools with me, but I should at least stop that."

He has a bandage. It's built for humans, but it might do in a pinch...it's offered, along with any other clean cloth he's carrying.

Connor blinks and runs a brief diagnostic, LED flickering with the process, before reaching to touch his chin. And then he let's out a little 'oh.' and looks back to Billy with a smile.

"It's minor. I can have it repaired after I report in at the precinct." Maybe. If there isn't a new deviant investigation there waiting for him and Hank. In which case, he may be out of luck until he returns to CyberLife.

He is curious now though. It's not often he runs into young humans with enough interest in androids to have an idea of how to repair one.

"You have interest in androids?"

"Affirmative," he admitted with a tiny smile. "I'm hoping to intern for CyberLife after my first semester of college. You're amazing, and I'm really hoping to learn more and help out."

He couldn't help but be interested. Meeting an android was well worth risking the punishment for being late to school. "So you're a detective, then? Wow, there aren't many of you yet, I'll bet."

That's certainly interesting! He rarely finds anyone outside of CyberLife with engineering skill or interest. Maybe he should keep tabs on him for the future. Even as a child model, his job will present any number of dangers.

"You aren't wrong. The RK800 series androids are prototypes. I was developed and assigned to investigate the ongoing deviant epidemic." Of course, that had been the standard Connor. Little Connor was even more experimental in some ways.

The deviant epidemic. Billy had heard a little about it, and it frightened him somewhat. All those sci-fi stories about humanity's hubris becoming its undoing were now true. But what if...what if there was something else at play? Sometimes he wondered.

"Wow. That is important. I'm a little worried about everything going on, but I'm sure you're doing a great job," he smiled.

"Not to worry." He smiled up at Billy, adjusting his little tie a bit. It was a task important enough that Amanda kept in regular contact him him. He didn't plan on failing.

"I don't believe the deviants would harm an innocent civilian." Admittedly, there were a couple that had, that might, but each had something trigger a violent reaction in them. And the victims related to it in some way.

OPEN POST

Not sure what timeline you'd want Connor to be in, so tried to play it vague. :)

ahhh we can fudge it :3

o/

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sorry! this is so late!