[OPEN] Hey look out for that moving van

[atmyage]

Who: Ema Skye and YOU
What: She's new, come pick on her.
Where: Outside, around campus
When: March 9th
Warnings: None

Ema had begged the detective who was supposed to take her to the airport not to tell her sister that she was coming here instead. Lana had enough on her mind, what with the sentencing hearing in a few days and the loss of her job, to worry about Ema's new choice of high school. Sure, it'd come up eventually, but it was a topic that could wait for a little while.

She gave the detective a little wave as he drove off, then started to lug her suitcase across campus. She looked back and forth like she was watching tennis, taking it all in. It was a lot different from Capcom High (what was with the big clock tower, anyway?).

Well, now was not the time to get nervous or discouraged! She chose this path, now she has to walk it. Like Mr. Edgeworth! Only maybe with fewer forgery accusations and a less tacky office.

With newfound resolve, Ema steels herself and continues walking across campus, unafraid of the challenges ahead!

Only... she has no idea where to go.

She waves down the first person she sees. "Um, excuse me?"

Comments

[atmyage]

"Not officially, yet." She smiles brightly. "But give me three years, and I'll be there, no problem."

[operatingbuddy]

"Then I wish you good fortune in your chosen career path," the robot answered.

"Query: You are not a member of the police, yet you participate in official investigations?"

[atmyage]

"Yep!"

A pause. That's not entirely truthful.

"Well, just one. So far."

And it wasn't really "official"...

[operatingbuddy]

"So your service is not in an official capacity," he reasoned out. "Nevertheless, I would be intrigued to learn about your techniques," he added. "They sound fascinating."

[atmyage]

An invite to talk about science!? She will accept, sir!

"Of course! I'll teach you anything you want to know, Rob! You've come to the right place."

[operatingbuddy]

"Thank you for your hospitality," he replied. "I wish to understand the fundamentals of scientific investigation, and then an explanation of the principles involved, as well as recent advances in modern forensics," he began to rattle off.

When R.O.B. was curious about something, he went all in.

[atmyage]

He wants to know a lot! Luckily Ema is nothing short of ecstatic to explain.

"Well, obviously, the goal is to learn all you can about a crime, so you know who committed it. The techniques I've used are finding fingerprints, and finding blood splatters. I use luminol for the blood splatters, you spray it from a bottle..."

She'll babble on about it for awhile as they walk, until they get to the cafeteria. "...of course, fingerprints are useless if you don't have a match on file, and... oh, is this it?"

[operatingbuddy]

An ordinary person would probably have started tuning her out and ignoring her rambling. R.O.B. was not an ordinary person. He soaked up information like a sponge, his boundless curiosity being satisfied by her explanation of her craft.

"Affirmative, we have arrived at the cafeteria," he answered. "To procure sustenance, please speak to the large bear with the cybernetic implants behind the counter. His name is Nancy."

[atmyage]

"The large what!?" Ema repeats, looking where R.O.B is indicating. Sure enough, there is what appears to be a huge bear there. Ema scoots back a little.

"Um... he doesn't eat people, does he?"

[operatingbuddy]

"To my knowledge, Nancy has never eaten any students or faculty," R.O.B. helpfully explained. "Contrary to appearances, he is quite mild mannered."

[atmyage]

"Oh. That's good."

She still eyes the bear a bit nervously. Who employs a bear to work at a school, anyway?

[operatingbuddy]

To demonstrate that Nancy was of no harm, R.O.B. hovered up to the bear, leading the way for Ema. "Hello," he said. Nancy responded with a grunt and a nod. Even if R.O.B. didn't need food, the Ursaring still recognized him. "My new acquaintance requires sustenance." He turned to Ema. "Query: What would you like to imbibe?"

[atmyage]

"Oh! Um... I would be fine with just a sandwich. And maybe some tea?"

Mmm, tea.

She's still being careful to stay a little being R.O.B., just in case.

[operatingbuddy]

"Affirmative." He turned back to Nancy. "One sandwich and one tea, please."

Nancy nodded, setting to work, and soon R.O.B. was presented a tray of lunch for the junior CSI. He thanked Nancy, taking the tray and hovering to Ema, offering it to her.

[atmyage]

Wow, Nancy's actually pretty great! She gives a thank you to him as well before taking the tray and walking to the table.

"Didn't you want anything?" Wait... "Oh. I guess robots don't eat, huh?"

[operatingbuddy]

"Affirmative," R.O.B. replied. "I do not require nourishment. However I am not averse to social interactions of this manner."

[atmyage]

"Man, I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't eat," she muses around a bite of sandwich. "Then I could never taste snacks!"

[operatingbuddy]

"Perhaps, although it is difficult to miss a sensory experience one has not known since creation," the robot reasoned.

[atmyage]

"I guess so." She shrugs. "Maybe you're just better off not knowing!"

[operatingbuddy]

"Perhaps so. Although I am curious about the nature of the sensation," he replied. "As difficult as that may be."

[atmyage]

"I bet you would be, with all these people eating around you! But at least you don't get stomachaches or anything."

Stomachaches are among the worst things about being a human.

[operatingbuddy]

"I understand it is a most unpleasant experience," he replied. "However I would not be averse to experiencing it, if only once, for the sake of the experience."

[atmyage]

"Mm, I bet." She thinks about it. "Maybe one day, someone can build you a fake stomach!"

[operatingbuddy]

R.O.B. cocked his head.

"I am... having difficulty conceptualizing such an apparatus."

[atmyage]

She shrugs. "Why? It's a big sac with digestive juice in it."

She thinks it over for a moment. "But I guess the taste bud part would be hard, huh?"