"Norman."

Norman's fingers stilled on the piano, and he smiled, despite himself. The case was frustratingly difficult to crack, but it was always nice to hear from ARI, especially considering how rarely it happened. "Ari. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"The piano isn't usually your entertainment of choice. Are you having issues with the investigation?"

Norman turned to look at the ARI's projection. They had a female appearance, despite their lack of gender. It was easier for them. At first they had copied Norman's appearance exactly, but in order to differentiate themselves from Norman they projected themselves as female. They still retained some of Norman's features though: the color of his hair and eyes were the same as theirs, and the shape of their face was similar-a little rounder, but the same jawline. Despite the similarities, though, the rest of their body was distinct from Norman's. They had a pronounced chest in rather than Norman's flat one, and a more curved body shape.

"Blake says Ethan Mars is the Origami Killer," Norman told the system.

"But not you?" Ari noticed that Norman did not include his own name to the list of people who suspected Ethan Mars. "Does the evidence not point in this direction?"

"It just doesn't fit." Norman turned back to the piano and returned his fingers to the keys. "The geological profile doesn't fit, and neither does his psychological profile. I just don't see this father murdering eight victims before kidnapping his own son." He shook his head. "Ethan Mars is not the Origami Killer. I'd stake my life on it."

"Then perhaps you should review the evidence in our possession." Ari unfolded their hands and let them hang loosely by their sides. They were ready to disappear; to fade back into the background processing of the system.

Norman almost asked them to stay. Most of the time he didn't mind being alone, but...sometimes, he enjoyed the company. He certainly enjoyed being able to talk to Ari. They were incredibly smart, of course, but still naive. For sure, Ari was a much more pleasant partner than Blake. Before he dismissed the piano, though, he asked them one last question. "What do you think of the evidence, Ari?"

They stared at him, though whether that was a sign of emotion of not was debatable. Ari copied Norman's average rate of blinking, though he went much longer between each blink than the average person-especially when he was utilizing the ARI. "We lack the capability to analyze evidence, Norman. You know this."

Norman sighed. "Of course. You're a system, not a human." It was a conversation they had had many times before.

"Our entire basis of operation is different than a humans, Norman," Ari reminded him. "We are a binary system. We cannot reason the same way you do. We can merely present to you the evidence, not understand its meaning. It is up to you to interpret it."

"Of course," Norman agreed. "Right."

Ari paused for a moment longer. Or maybe, they were just awaiting a command? Either way, they spoke again after a beat of silence. "You understand the difference between us and a human, do you not?" They seemed...hesitant. "You understand that we cannot feel as you do."

"The lady doth protest too much," Norman grinned.

"We are not a lady," Ari replied, and after a short moment, "you are referencing Hamlet."

Norman nodded. "I think the reason you insist that you can't feel so much is because you *do* feel. The system doth protest too much, methinks."

Ari frowned at him. A small downturn of the mouth, nothing too dramatic. It's an improvement from the last time they attempted facial expression-it had strayed a little too far into the uncanny valley last time, but a smaller, less dramatic facial expression seemed to be easier for them to handle. "We insist upon it so often because it appears to us that you do not seem to remember."

"I like to keep an open mind," Norman protested. "But, honest. I won't forget."

Ari still didn't move. It figured. If Ari was going to lecture him, they wouldn't stop with just one thing.

"Anything else you wanna remind me of?" he prompted.

"We understand it has been given to you in order to counteract side effects of using this system. However..." Ari trailed off. "We do not know how to be delicate. We understand that this is a difficult topic for you. That is the extent of our understanding."

Norman gave them the best smile he could muster. "I'm working on it," he promised them. His smile dropped. "It's...difficult," he admitted. "Getting more and more difficult all the time."

"Be careful, Norman. If you are not careful, the results could be...deadly. And we do not wish that end for you." Ari kept their gaze on him this time, intentionally not blinking.

Norman gave them a wry grin. "I'll be alright," he promised. The grandeur of the hotel room and the piano in front of him disappeared, replaced with his office display. He repeated himself, even though ARI wasn't listening anymore.

"I'll be alright..."