InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Does a lumberjack really...?"

ᴄᴏɴɴᴏʀ (cyberlife) wrote in theconsolelog,
@ 2018-06-19 23:24:00

Entry tags:

connor, hank anderson

WHO: Hank Anderson & Connor ~~The Android sent by Cyberlife~~
WHERE: New Leaf Village
WHEN: June 18th
WHAT: Blinking from one crazy world into a new one
WARNINGS: SPOILERS FOR DETROIT: BECOME HUMAN - And Hank will probably curse. He likes doing that.
STATUS: In-Progress

Androids had no real sense of time seeing as they didn't necessarily need to keep a schedule. Connor only had to allocate dates with evidence and instructions. But needless to say, the battle for Detroit had easily been the longest day Connor had ever witnessed. He had become deviant, opened his eyes, and apparently found what he was truly looking for. Along with aiding Markus in a peaceful rebellion to save their people most of the events seemed as though they should have been much more spaced out. Yet they happened all the same, he'd had no time to sit and analyze, try and come up with excuses for his actions or avoid the inevitable any longer.

And it felt good. It felt right. If he could say that he knew what that was supposed to feel like.

He did now know what it meant to be free of his programming, Amanda, and CyberLife. While the cause for androids was important, Connor wouldn't have been able to do anything or be anyone without Hank. When things were settled he took to meeting at Hank's favorite self-contaminating food stand, long since abandoned after the night had passed. Almost ghostly, yet peaceful. His friend was safe and that was what mattered to Connor. Had he seen him smile like that before? Not sarcastically or when he'd been trying to goad the presence of what Connor had been trying to deny for their entire investigation? Probably not. It made Connor smile too. One he didn't have to try and force for the sake of emoting, it just, pulled to the corners of his lips. Before he knew it his human companion had also yanked him against his shoulder, the android catching his balance and gripping Hank at first in mild confusion but returning the gesture more easily. A hug, a simple thing he'd seen humans do plenty of times but what did it really mean?

Connor closed his eyes but briefly, letting his head rest against Hank's shoulder--which smelled like whiskey and Sumo--and he let himself feel again. It was care. And Connor was thankful he meant more than just a machine or a means to an end to anyone. Especially Hank.

The feeling was short-lived as he opened his eyes again, blinking quickly, letting go of Hank and glancing around them. "What..where.." The LED on the side of his temple wound yellow as he ran a scan of their environment. He didn't need to in order to see they were no longer at The Chicken Feed. Or Detroit. It was not snowing, it was sunny, birds were chirping, things were green and the environment was lush with life. The sky was blue and in the distance, homes, a town center...talking animals. His scans only analyzed the name of the town and how many miles it spanned. It didn't make any sense. Connor tensed, briefly panicking that his emergency exit had failed and this was another program to trap his interface.

The familiar bark of a certain Saint Bernard beside them pulled the android from his recoil, but his LED was still red now. "Hank..do you know what's happening?" Connor looked at him hopefully, eyes uncharacteristically lively. He didn't want CyberLife to trick him into taking over his programming. But there was no way they could have gotten what they needed to simulate Hank and Sumo. Could they? "I'm trying to analyze our location but I've got no information on it. New...Leaf? Is the name of the area. Is this another district they were constructing?" That they...magically got to after hugging. With Hank's dog.

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temulency
2018-07-08 05:37 am UTC (link)

There was no good reason to resist Connor's suggestion of relocating to the bed. Nothing except for Hank's tendency to punish himself whenever possible. He wasn't stupid; he knew sleeping on the couch would leave him sore and stiff-necked. It didn't matter. He was already here. The aches and pains would motivate him to wake up that much sooner, he figured. They had a lot of ground to cover in the morning.

"A new hair do might do the trick. Piercings. Jewelry," Hank rattled off, only half serious. That's when an idea came to him. On his person were three relics of bygone eras. His high school class ring, a gold chain given by his ex-wife, and a fine Swedish timepiece. The Rolex had cost him almost four grand, but he considered it a sound investment. Back then, his future seemed brighter. There was more disposable income to throw around.

According to the dealer, the watch would only lose one second every decade. Hank was certain it would last his lifetime. And once he was gone, it looked nice enough to warrant passing on. Someday, he'd hoped his son would wear it.

Sleepily fumbling the clasp open, Hank offered it without looking at Connor. No sense getting all mushy about the gesture. They were only looking for practical means of quick identification in a pinch. It wasn't that big a deal. Ahem. "I realize you don't need help telling the time," Hank explained. "But that's what make it kinda funny. When in Rome, dress as the Romans do." Hank's version of the old adage was all wrong, but the corners of his mouth quirked into a smile regardless. "I've got my phone and that weird ass device that showed up when we got here. Don't worry about me needing it. I forget the damn thing on my nightstand half the time, anyway."

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cyberlife
2018-07-11 12:37 am UTC (link)

Ah, he was joking. Right? Connor didn't think he would like the intrusion of a piercing into his skin. Though he supposed his hair could change. The normally sleeked back synthetic hair, save for that one pesky bang had loosened up into a few. He ran his fingers through it, letting his hair part where it wanted and the bangs fall around his face. Imperfection was...better, in a way.

Connor stared in surprised when Hank offered him the watch. His watch. It looked expensive. "Hank, I can't accept--" Oh he thought he'd tell him he didn't need to keep track of time. Well, Hank was right, but the android didn't know what it was to receive a gift.

Until now. Another analogy--dress like the Roman's do. Dress like...a person. Reaching out, still unsure, Connor took the watch and placed it on his wrist. He stared at it in awe. The old, hardboiled detective may have hid in the reasoning of giving him something to distinguish him by. But it was much more than that. It was the first thing that Connor would own that would be his. And his very first gift, given to him by his only friend. It was very, very special. His fingers traced over the edges and links to the watch, a smile pulling to his face. "Thank you. I'll take good care of it." He contended to respond simply, as Hank had done enough 'explaining' as to why Connor should have the watch in the first place.

But he watched his father figure of a human smile, his own mirroring it with as much life as Connor could muster. Not wanting to keep him up any longer, he got up from the couch, patting Hank gently on the shoulder. "I hope you sleep well. I'll keep watch, you just relax." And he would. As soon as Hank would drift into a REM cycle, Connor would adjust him to lay properly against the cushions of the couch, covering him with a throw blanket so he would be comfortable and not stiff in the morning. He would then spend the rest of the night reading some of the books in the room, his hand holding the watch protectively here and there.

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