The Need to Belong [AU] [Private]

Avril supposed the irony of her being made to kill and murdering people in cold from who ever had her at the time and making her do 'jobs' that her actual nature was one of a protector. She didn't actually like fighting normally, but if asked she'd do her best to defend someone she actually cared about with all she had and more.

So really being asked do this, something other then dealing death was a infinitely better alternative. She didn't even consider it troublesome despite her lack of knowledge when it came to taking care of children herself.

"It's all right Gary. I know you don't know me well, but this is a new start for me. To do something positive. You don't see it now, but just this I'm grateful if anything. More then you know." Avril's comment was very curious and there would be a number of things to draw from it. "None of us know much about children, but let's try to do our best."

The small quite child was still withdrawn and subdued, which only made sense. She crouched down in front of Mary so she was eye level. "My name is Avril, its nice to meet you Mary. I don't expect things to happen over night, but I hope we can become good friends one day."

Gary wasn't quite sure what to make of that response. The simple fact that Avril was from another reality could explain any number of things on its own. Was she a veteran of some war? The emphasis on 'something positive' spoke of self-depreciation, if not actual guilt. Truthfully, it made him somewhat nervous, but she didn't seem to be a dangerous person so he let it pass. While he was thinking this, she'd turned to Mary, so he remained silent and refrained from interrupting as Avril gave her greeting.

Mary, true to form, didn't respond much to Avril beyond giving her a glance, though it was apparent she was still listening. When Avril got to the word 'friends,' though, the girl's interest peaked and she nodded shyly with a murmured, 'yeah.'

Gary smiled. That was a good sign, if nothing else was. Then, glancing at the clock, Gary realised that the afternoon had been spent and it was approaching evening. He had some work to do, circumstances aside, and speaking of which...

"Ah... are you two hungry?" Mary's head tilted oddly, "there's not much here, really, but I should be able to fix something to eat."

Avril's face couldn't help but twitch into a faint smile as she stood back up. That had went as well as it could have been expected really. Turning her attention to her host, she shook her head. "I don't need to eat too much and I'm not picky so whatever is fine." Mary hadn't said if she was hungry ot not but she honestly hadn't expected her to say much of anything.

Gary made a thoughtful noise as he browsed his meager stock. There really wasn't much present; only enough to feed himself for the rest of the week. He didn't particularly need more, or have the space for it... until now, at least. Without many other options, he retrieved some rice and set it up in the rice cooker. At the table, Mary's despondence was finally broken by something other than momentary surprise and she watched curiously as he worked.

"Right, that's two cups of white rice. It should be done in about twenty minutes." He informed, turning back to his guests. Or in this case, new housemates really.

Avril took a back to observe as Gary got to cooking, taking notice of Mary. For once she didn't seem as depressed as normal which was a good thing. She doubted she would be able to make the little girl come out of her gloom but at the least she could look after her.

Cooking wasn't a activity Avril had done too much but the times she did or other domestic duties she felt oddly..calmed. She wasn't sure why that was considering what she was but personally Avril chalked it off as a personality quirk and left it at that.

"I have something of a odd question." She took a glance at Mary then back to Gary. "How advanced are the androids here?"

"Androids?" Gary questioned, "Well... if you're talking about robotics in general... I'm not really the best on this subject. How advanced do you mean?"

At the moment, there was no clue or hint of what exactly she was. Gary could think of her as a alien or any other manner of being or just a human from another world. That was to say for now this type of questioning wouldn't bring up any suspicion. Whether she would reveal herself what she really was depended on multiple factors, up to including about androids in general.

"I mean," She began again. "Are any of these androids sapient in short?

Gary took some time to think on the question, but really, his answer was obvious, "No. Not that I've heard of recently, anyway. Going off of what little I know of the subject, we're making strides in robotics but in terms of creating an artificial intelligence the most we've got is a 'parrot' program that repeats what it hears."

Here Mary tilted her head in confusion, curiosity lit inside her eyes, "Androids?"She asked, to Gary's surprise, "...I don't know that word."

Why did she have a urge to hug the girl? It made no sense. Curse her apparent weakness for small, cute things that seemed fragile. On further reflection she was with that with small animals and such as well, when she wasn't being controlled that is.

Forget it. For better or worse at least now you're free. There's no point in dwelling on something I can't change.


She turned to address Mary. "It's a complicated subject Mary, but hm..do you know what a robot is? They're somewhat like that, but they're made to look like people like you and Gary."

Mary's head tilted innocently in a way only children could do as she processed Avril's response, now - for the moment - totally distracted from her grief, "You mean like... a puppet? Or a doll?"

"Ah, it's more complicated than that," Gary inputted, searching for the words he needed to clarify, "It's more like... bringing the puppet or doll to life. Do you know Pinocchio?"


When the girl nodded, Gary continued, "An android would be a lot like Pinocchio, except made of metal instead of wood."

Avril couldn't hide her wince at the doll or puppet part. Mary of course didn't mean anything by it but it had struck a nerve to the point she wasn't able to mask her feelings as well. A puppet she supposed was a painful but accurate description of what others wanted her to be. Sometimes she wondered herself if they were right, and she was a puppet.

Of course, how could any sapient being after pondering enough prove to themselves there was something more to them? A spark of soul in other words.

She didn't know. Avril liked to think so, if not not think about it long term.

"..Yes, its..something to that effect Mary. I'd like to think any being that can truly think is 'real' in their own way. Even if they aren't organic and instead made."

The girl frowned, perhaps detecting Avril's wince, and shifted somewhat nervously, "It's a nice thought," She agreed, tone peculiarly wistful. Then she glanced away, frown deepening, "Father thought so, too, I think. He used to say, 'If I truly pour my soul into my work, perhaps it will gain a life of its own.' He said it all the time..." She trailed off, and the air was filled with an uncomfortable silence.

In the kitchen, Gary himself frowned, though out of concern instead of sorrow. Did his uncle neglect her? Was that why he'd never heard of her from him? Did he immerse himself so thoroughly into his work and dreams that he forgot his child? It didn't sit well with Gary. Particularly because he could easily see his eccentric uncle doing such a thing. He wanted to say something to reassure the girl, but he couldn't find the words.

After a moment, Avril placed a hesitant gentle hand on the young girl's shoulder. "Mary, I don't know all the answers to things; there are many things I don't know. But, maybe, together, we can find some of those answers for ourselves."

She wasn't sure if it would help at all, but she couldn't stand the silence after what Mary said so she felt she had to do something.

"...then what?" Mary asked quietly, still not facing anyone.

Before anything else could be said, the timer for the rice cooker went off, prompting Gary to let loose an unmanly elegant scream of surprise and spin about... with such speed that his arm caught the side of the wall, prompting him to wince and pull it back, which set his balance off and sent him to the floor.

Moments later he was standing back up and clearing his throat as if to somehow negate that incident. "The rice is done." He stated obviously, making a point not to show his reddened face. Disabling the cooker and carefully sliding the lid aside just far enough for the steam to air out, Garry set about searching for some sauce to flavor the meal.

"We'll worry about that part when we get there." Avril said with gentleness she didn't know she had. "For now, we'll take things one step at a time. Taking too much at once and you'll get overwhelmed."

The android was going to say something when Gary screamed in his seemingly normal high pitch from being caught by surprise by the cooker. She'd find the situation more absurd if she didn't find more amusing of a young man jumping that much over a cooker of all things.

To Gary's relief, Avril didn't tease or poke fun at him. That was the good news. The bad news that may change when Avril was more comfortable. She found a place to sit by closer to the cooker and motioned for the small girl to sit by her; she had no idea if she would listen or not. If she didn't she'd understand completely.

Splitting the rice evenly between three bowels and flavoring it with the sauce, Garry sighed internally as he carried the bowels to the table (Mary and Avril's first, with his following last.) 'Just rice... isn't enough. I'm going to need to get some groceries.'


During this time, Mary had tilted her head in confusion when Avril started motioning before - when the woman patted the cushion next to her, seeming to understand what was being requested. Without much fanfare, the girl stood up, striking her knee against the table due to her lack of attention. Pursing her lips and stubbornly refusing to cry out, the girl made her way next to Avril and seated herself, staring fixedly ahead until a bowel of rice crossed into her vision.

She turned in time to receive a brief smile from Garry before he was off to retrieve his own bowel. Pain forgotten, she glanced down at the bowel. Or, more specifically, the chop sticks laying across it.

While Avril didn't need to eat, she could say she enjoyed the taste of it when she could. On a intellectual level, it was amazing how in depth and deep they had gone to make her able to experience most of what a normal humanoid had. She felt pain, emotions, could taste things and feel touch and if she felt so inclined she could have children.

The later to her was a impossibility for a number of reasons personally, one of the main factors being her lack of interest in sex or either gender. On top of that, she was understandbaly terrified of being responsible for another life of that sort. She was pretty much convinced by some miracle it did happen she'd make a horrible mother.

Of course it did beg the question as to why. What purpose would a Assassin Android need for all this? If anything a full array of emotions would hinder them in their job. Having children would definitely also hinder things so overall it was confusing.

Avril suspected she and the rest were modified from their original purpose--whatever that may have been. It was just a theory however. But it was one that made too much sense, it would also explain the lack of a sex drive but able to reproduce if it was something they suppressed to keep her focused on her 'work' that needed to be done.

The little girl coming over once again brought her back to reality, as she scrapped her knee. For some reason, a almost overwhelming urge came over Avril to check on her but she halted herself when Mary seemed fine.

"Mary, have you used chopsticks before?" Avril asked gently.

The reticent girl shook her head in confirmation as Gary tool his seat, bowel of steaming rice in hand. It wasn't that surprising that she didn't know how to use chopsticks. Guerterna wasn't Japanese and thus probably didn't use Japanese utensils. Following, given how sheltered Mary seemed to be, she might not even have any idea what she was looking at. But, then again, they had expected her to not know how to speak Japanese and been surprised. Personally, Gary would prefer to use western utensils as well, but it made for good practice so that he wouldn't embarrass himself in a social setting that required him to use them.

"You hold them like this," He said kindly, holding his pair up with one hand to demonstrate, before reaching down and pinning a wad of rice between them. Admittedly, he wasn't the most dexterous, but there wouldn't have been anything particularly amazing about the action anyway. He would arrange them in the girl's hand himself, but he wasn't sure how she would react to that. It would be best if she tried on her own first.

Which she did, taking hold of the utensils and examining them as if they were some strange animal at a zoo before awkwardly attempting to mimic the grip Gary was showing her, which wasn't that difficult. Of course, holding them properly was only the start - as proven by her awkward attempts to pin the rice between them properly.

Avril couldn't help but smile faintly at Mary's attempt, she was trying and learning. After Mary seemed to get at least a slight hold of things, she began to eat herself. It wasn't the best food she had, but it was decent.


 "Gary, if you don't mind me asking, what are you going to school for?" She didn't know why she asked, she guessed it was just idle chatting instead of the usual silence.

"Art Major with a minor in Business," He responded simply. Here, Mary glanced at him in curiosity, but said nothing.

"So you plan on becoming a artist?" Avril asked casually as she kept a eye on Mary and her mental state from time to time. "It's nice to have a life goal, I don't really have any myself right now." Basic survival didn't really count, but now that she was apparently free she wasn't even sure what to do yet.

"Ahaha," He laughed, "I'm not that creative. I actually want to work at a museum."

Mary frowned, pensively working a clump of rice between her chopsticks, "What's so great about museums..?"

What was so great about them?

Honestly she really didn't have much interest in them herself, but some things were interesting in them.

"It depends on who you ask, Mary. You find a lot of old things in the past you can't find anywhere else at them and other things are priceless. Hm, have you been to one before?" She asked the little girl.

The girl pursed her lips, "No..."

Gary frowned in concern. There had to be more to it than that. She hadn't asked that question with curiosity in her voice. Fishing for more information, Gary inserted his own two cents, "An art museum, specifically, displays portraits from various artists around the world. People either gather there to admire the art, or draw inspiration from them. For me, rather than the end result, I like to look into the technique behind the painting and see if I can figure out how it was made." He laughed a little, "I guess that makes me kind of weird, right?"


But though she definitely heard him, Mary only made a noncommittal nod and didn't respond further - her focus fixed pointedly (but vacantly - as if the focus itself were a ruse) on her food.

Mary must of had a bad experience with them and didn't want to elaborate; at least that was what Avril had gathered. She couldn't think of anything as it really could be any single event that happened that that reminded her of a very bad experience.

Not that she would pry. Considering her past and reservations she was never going to push probably more then needed.

Deciding a change of subject, Avril spoke of the first thing that came to mind. "Just to be sure, what are the days you have to be at school? We still have to get Mary situated."