Empatheias Inbox

[justamachine]

[Any messages, packages, mail or closed threads for Connor can go here.]

Comments

[ACTION]

[fuckingpassw0rd]

[He hates this. He hates this so much that when he goes into the building, the entire place becomes cold, and Hank's breathe comes out in clouds of wispy smoke.]

Hey Connor, we...need to talk.

[justamachine]

[Connor has been pacing for some time in their apartment, flipping a coin from one hand to another, setting things in their place, checking to make sure his firearm is where he last put it. He's been anxious, to put it plainly, even if he may not acknowledge that just yet. So—it's a relief when he hears the door open, and he stops in his tracks to look towards it.

The relief doesn't last long, however.

He would be able to tell that something was amiss even without the abrupt drop in temperature. There's a certain heaviness behind the Lieutenant's tone and the way he's dragging himself inside with Sumo.

What could have happened that they need to discuss? He doesn't have enough information to form a solid hypothesis, and there's a faint line between his eyebrows that speak to the concern that's come right back to him again.]

... what is it, Hank?

[fuckingpassw0rd]

[TO his credit Hank had come back just ten minutes shy of the hour he had told Connor. More worryingly, he hadn't come back with anything to drink which perhaps showed how serious this was.

Sumo quickly realized how cold it was and began to whine around Hank's legs, perhaps knowing something was wrong considering Saint-Benards could tolerate the cold pretty well.

The fact Connor called him Hank just made things worse and he groaned in pure annoyance briefly because, most of all, he really hated himself for what needed to be said.]

Well I spoke with Marcus. And uh...shit Connor, I haven't been truthful with you.

[He sat down, the heaviness already weighing on him.]

text.

[torsion]

Hey, Connor! ❤

[ She's figured out how to add hearts in her thoughts, ugh. ]

text

[justamachine]

[She will hear no complaints about it from Connor. You do you, ma'am.]

Hello, Jill. 🙂

How are you?

[The fact that he's asked this instead of jumping straight to android customer service mode is a sign of improvement in his social modules, for sure.]

[torsion]

Oh, you hitting me up first? I'm alright, I guess. Things could always be worse, right? Either way, I just wanted to see how you're doing and if that guy's runnin' you ragged as his personal trainer.

Wait, do you get tired? Probably not, huh.

[ Jill has no idea what any of that means and is fine never knowing. ]

Wanted to ask about that thing a few weeks ago, too. Didn't know if you were swept up in it or not.

[Post-Arrivals - Voice for now]

[fuckingpassw0rd]

[It had been a few hours since the first appearance of the arrivals, and with their shift nearly over, Hank sent out a small message to Connor just to see how he was doing. No news good news, right?]

Hey Connor! How are things on your end?

[voice]

[justamachine]

[There's a significant pause before Connor answers, even though the android's presence can be felt on the other end of the connection. He keeps the processes in his mind rigidly partitioned to keep any unintended thoughts or... feelings from coming through.]

I think we should talk in person.

[voice] --> [action]

[fuckingpassw0rd]

[Connor might have suppressed his feels enough, but the words give it an urgent tone regardless that Hank doesn't bother asking him if anything is wrong.]

Okay. Lemme know where you want to meet.

[He'll show up as soon as he can at Connor's chosen location.]

After the Simon Log | I keep taking over your inbox

[fuckingpassw0rd]

To his credit, Hank had kept himself out abusing the bottle fairly well during his stay in Verens. Sure, he still had his vice; it was impossible for him to quit alcohol outright, nor was he looking to. Now it was more something to enjoy, maybe give him a little buzz, but nothing more. With a better hope for the future back home, and with everything that had happened the past few months here, one could say that Hank had no real reason to drink himself stupid. He had, well, arguably a much better life than back home.

Unfortunately it was far too easy to slip back into old habits when that balance had become threatened. He thought he was prepared for anything this world might throw at him, but perhaps he hadn't expected the real threat to come from another pocket of his world. The crash was inevitable after their talk with Simon. The damn alternate reality that proved to him that some of the choices he had made during those important three days could have far different outcomes. That began a series of questions in his mind. What more could be changed? What shitty decisions had caused the deaths of others?

It was a lot to take in. There were too many thoughts swimming in his mind for him to be able to come up for air in time, and so he turned to the one thing that was good for blocking the voices. He had felt a considerable amount of guilt doing so, knowing he might be failing in his own promise to keep it controlled, but that night he simply couldn't stop.

It was just a shot at first, while Connor was sleeping. Then another. And another, and another until he realized he was starring at the bottom of the bottle in horror. He had stood up to look outside, not realizing that his entire room was slowly becoming a freezer from his emotions as his breathing considerably increased. A few minutes more, and he felt his head spinning, before he somehow managed to lay on his bed, feeling the lure to close his eyes and fall asleep. He knew what type of sleep well, had become close friends with it for the past few years.

He knew this was a terrible thing, but at that moment, it felt oddly peaceful. He didn't even notice the ice growing around him, locking him in place.

it is here to be used

[justamachine]

It was only because of Sumo's whining and cold nose that Connor actually woke up to realize anything was wrong. Although confused by the hour, the android nonetheless sat up, ready to start some sort of routine, and moved to pay the dog the attention he was apparently needing only for Sumo to dart out of the room, collar jingling as he went. With a frown, Connor got to his feet and followed.

Even if he didn't immediately scan the room at the sight of the empty bottle, the smell of liquor pervaded the room enough that it was obvious what had gone on. For a few moments, he stood silently next to the table, calculating and reconstructing the events that had likely occurred. But watching a wireframe of the lieutenant downing shots and the room slowly icing over didn't tell him why.

He turned to the other bedroom where Sumo had retreated, determined not to let any personal distress or limitations get in the way of remedying this. He wasn't, however, expecting to see Hank enclosed in a veritable cocoon of ice.

"Lieutenant!"

If the man had managed to get under the covers before collapsing and frosting over, perhaps it wouldn't have been as alarming, but the fact was that if Connor hadn't woken up until his normal hour, Hank was likely to suffer from an unpleasant amount of frostbite, or worse. Rather than calculating the specifics of how much worse, the android immediately took to grasping at the edges of the ice and breaking off what pieces he could, regardless of whether they ended up cutting through his synthetic skin.

"Hank, wake up!"

[fuckingpassw0rd]

Despite Connor's cries, Hank heard nothing. The silence of his ice prison enhanced by the alcohol was much like falling into a body of water. He knows he should be swimming, but the cold is quickly numbing every sensation he has, and he finds himself not caring. His breathing is getting slower to match the heartbeats, and the ice prison leaks out from the bed, spreading to the ground. Why would he care anyway? He was just Hank Anderson...not someone really important. He was old and grumpy and just a general mess of a man. His actions might have caused more harm than good. What if he had told Connor to let the android go instead of chasing it? What if they hadn't gone on the roof? What if Cole as alive in another world? If not, how did that change the revolution? Did his son need to die for this to all work?

He let the water take him, carry him downward into the cold, endless abyss. It was better that way...

Then something echoed in his ears, like a knock in slow motion. The million of thoughts about the feebility of his life became a single one in his mind;

What the fuck was that noise?

Hey guess who, it's me again 11/05

[fuckingpassw0rd]

[When Connor would wake up on that day, there would be a simple wooden box placed next to him, strong enough to withstand Sumo's weight or teeth should the dog decide that he needed to play around with it (but thankfully he did not).

If Connor bothered to open it, there would be a note inside.]

So yeah, I might not have an internal clock like you, but I've counted the days since you celebrated my birthday and I'm pretty sure this counts as the day when you fucking ignored all the warnings on Jimmy's Bar (as you tend to do), and forced me to follow you into a homicide case.

I kinda owe you for that one, and after what happened in the haunted house bullshit, figured you'd need another weapon. I dunno why they have to make them so damn fancy in this world, but let me know if it doesn't suit you.

[Under the paper is a new gun]

[justamachine]

[Rare are the days when Hank awakens before Connor, but given the android's clockwork sleep schedule (almost literally), it's not all that hard to do if he puts his mind to it. Thanks to that, the android is none the wiser about the gift until he actually sits up and spots it out of the corner of his eye.

"If he bothered." As if he could resist opening the box as soon as he spotted it. He is, if nothing else, driven by curiosity.

At first he's surprised and a little confused, not unlike Hank's reaction to Connor knowing his birthday. But the more he examines the new weapon in his hand and goes through the note he's already memorized, the more a comfortable warmth expands from his chest, filling the room with the fresh scent of spring flowers. To put it simply, he's touched.

After getting dressed in his usual efficient manner, Connor ventures out of his bedroom to locate his partner, the pleasant smell following him and his LED glowing in green.]

Action [After Sora's post 12/1]

[fuckingpassw0rd]

Hank had disappeared for a few minutes while Sora spoke to him telepathically. It has always been much easier for him to answer when he didn't have distracting noises around him.

When he finally returns to the kitchen area, his arms are crossed, annoyance plastered all over his face to keep up his usual appearance, but a more careful eye might notice it wasn't as genuine as usual, softer in tone. He still wasn't quite on board with the idea, but considering there were kids involved and Sora knew exactly where to hit him to get Hank to do something he would probably have had refused under any other circumstance. He sits himself at the table tapping the top of it before he finally speaks.

"I got asked to dress up as fucking Santa Claus."

:]

[justamachine]

The android is simply taking the time to wash a few dishes as Hank takes his call, as he's sure he'll learn what it was about if it's important enough to share. He notices the shift in mood easily, but when Hank finally speaks... well, Connor wouldn't have expected that answer beforehand.

He takes a moment to unpack the different implications between the words and the subtle changes in tone and body language, pausing in his task as he turns halfway to look at Hank. ... first, though. Something doesn't add up.

"They don't have Christmas here, do they?"

[justamachine]

[From here.]

[Connor hesitates at that, his mouth opening a little as he takes a few unnecessary breaths.]

I... I don't know. It's... a relief from one thing and an entirely new form of panic at the same time.

[He doesn't regret it. But he also doesn't know how to deal with it just yet.]

12/3

[jerichome]

[At the doorstep of Hank's and Connor's apartment, there is a nicely wrapped package with a tag saying 'To: Connor, From: Anonymous'. Yes, that's right, comic sans.

If he chooses to open the package, he'll find a sexy police costume with an additional note on top:]

I thought of you when I saw this. I hope it comes in handy some day. :)

[justamachine]

[Connor likes gifts; even before he became a deviant it was a heartwarming experience, that someone would think of him enough to give him something of his own, whether practical or more sentimental. He has no idea what might be inside, but he's nonetheless pleased as he unwraps the parcel.

...

Correction: Connor likes gifts that he can at least partly understand.

Time to seek out some context he might be missing. He calls out to Hank from his room, holding the... decidedly limited amount of clothing up to examine it.]

Hey, Hank?

12/25

[earphoned]

[ Minato's brand of humor is rather specific but something is tellinig him that Connor might enjoy this one. On the 25th, a neatly folded T-shirt with a "I watched over Hank and all I got is this lousy T-Shirt" print wrapped in decorative paper will be waiting for Connor at his doorstep. It seems that there's a note attached, too:

Happy holidays, thank you for your hard work this year. M. ]

12/25

[oathkeeper]

[On Christmas Day there is a delivery of a small gold-colored tin of shortbread cookies with a holiday card attached.

Unfortunately, Sora doesn't realize that Connor doesn't eat. Maybe he can share them with Sumo?]

To Connor,

Thanks for looking out for me. I hope you have a great holiday season!

Merry Christmas!
-Sora

Februrary 15th

[fuckingpassw0rd]

[One of the good things about this world was that not all of not all of the holidays matched up back to those home. Hank had never been a huge fan of Valentine's day anyway - more the type to make each day with his ex-wife special if he could than concentrate on one day. That was, looking back, one of the things they disagreed with over time. Here it was easily avoidable if he really wanted to.

What he did like was day-after chocolate and candies. Cheap shit at a good price that was more like a pandora's box if it would taste like coco wax or actually something palatable. Maybe this was why he didn't think twice of it when he spotted a box that morning next to his bedside. Maybe Connor thought it was a funny joke or he thought the lieutenant might like something like this without trying to send a message if it was given to him on the 14th.

Yeah this clearly made sense in his mind.

Was it a crime to try one before breakfast? Probably not, if it is already there waiting for him. He tentatively opens the box, waiting for the top to slide off from the bottom in slow motion, and can't help but chuckle and enforce his believe it has to be from Connor. There's only four chocolates in there. Seems like something the android would want to do; just enough so he doesn't hurt his diet or whatever. He has half a mind to eat two just to spite him, but he'll play it coy and just eat one.

It's...not bad actually. Maybe that's why there's four of them. They could have been more on the expensive side, and the coffee filling is a nice touch. He's impressed. Briefly wonders if he should really go for a second one but sticks to his guns and closes the box gently, before getting up and dressing himself up after a quick visit to the bathroom so he can thank Connor properly. Or at least grab some coffee. The chocolate only increased his desire for some.]

Morning.

[Is Connor even up yet?]

[justamachine]

[Connor is up, but only just. When Hank comes to greet him, he's buttoning up his shirt cuffs. He needs much less preparation to his mornings than humans, so it's the step immediately after removing his sleep clothes.

He gives his roommate a slight, polite smile, the way he typically greets the man.]

Good morning, Hank. Did you sleep well?

Misfire Shenanigans

[dragonsmark]

Are we meeting for this mission or not? Don't tell me you forgot.

[Hanzo's voice is clean, serious. There's a sigh]

You better not be goofing off somewhere.

[justamachine]

[There's a clear sense of curiosity coming from the other side of the connection before he responds, although any confusion he may have had is quickly resolved by a quick check of his own memory and reports of amulet malfunctions. As such, his voice comes across in a friendly way, maybe even with a little humor.]

I assure you that I don't have any modules for goofing off.

[... literally, connor does not know how to not be doing things at all times]

I assume you must have meant to send this to someone else, though. Do you need any help?