I’m crouched in an empty room, stealing everything. My stealth meter randomly changes to Detected so I stop for a while and wait for it to go back to Hidden. I steal the next item and get a notification that a bounty has been added. I’m still Hidden.

I finish looting and stand up. Suddenly: “You’re under arrest!” A cop charges into the room and starts giving me a spiel. I unload my fully automatic Grendel into their chest at point blank range. Somehow this attracts less attention than quietly picking up comestibles did; no reinforcements arrive, and I remain free to wander around.

I come back to this room about five minutes later for an unrelated conversation. Everyone politely ignores the dead body.

I know this is all, like, just Bethesda game things, but for some reason this time it seems funnier than usual.

Also, minor companion spoilers:

spoiler

If all the companions get as mad as Andreja did every time petty theft escalates to murder, my ship is going to get real empty real fast.