sweethymns | ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ

[He gets the joke, of course, but it's tossed out the window in favor of the rest. That being that he's apparently 'not from around here', which throws all of his processing for a loop. The way his expression knits into a concerned frown is nigh unmissable.]

Wait a second-

[He presses a hand into the brick wall, trying to balance himself as he attempts to stand. Connor seems a bit wobbly on his feet, nonetheless, even if he's been effectively healed. His usually neat hair has been mussed from all the effort.]

What do you mean, 'not from around here'? That doesn't make any sense, I haven't gone anywhere.

[On her part it wasn't so much a joke as it was sincere if an odd leap of logic.

Her eyes revert back to their normal shade of blue and she takes several deep breaths to gather her bearings. It was an intense usage of her powers after all. And then she continues her explanation to Connor as he moves to stand up and she does the same.]

You're a machine, aren't you? A highly advanced one, too advanced for this decade. It's going to catch the wrong kind of attention because you're uncommon.

Best stick with me.

Edited 2018-06-04 06:10 (UTC)

[He straightens, fingers flexing at his side. Connor looks at her for a long moment, picking apart her words in his head.]

Now, hold on. 'This decade'?

[The implications are... ridiculous, frankly.]

What year do you think it is?

It's... It's the 2010s...

[Her voice trails off.]

2016 or so...?

[Ai, how do you not know what year it is

Something similar flashes through his mind, though he doesn't bother asking that. The 2010's are a far cry from 2039, and as it stands, it simply shouldn’t be possible. Connor stands and stares at her for a moment, his mouth trying not to hang open. His success with that is minimal at best.]

I… I see.

[His LED is flashing yellow.]

You know that’s impossible, don’t you? That people don’t just time travel without explanation? Or at all?

[He seems to make a decision, then, turning on a heel and walking down the alleyway. But then he stops, turning his head, and—]

Thank you for your assistance, by the way.

[—and walks right out into the busy sidewalk adjacent to the alleyway, to confirm if what she’s saying is true. It should be obvious from the look of the place, the shops, a timestamp somewhere, a news article, a billboard, something to confirm that this isn’t maybe-2016.]

Hey! W-Wait, you still have blood... Er, paint? Blood? It's all over your clothes!!

[And that flashing light on the side of his head may or may not be questionable and Ai quickly jumps up to follow Connor and take a hold of his arm to pull him back into the alleyway.]

I'm sorry I upset you, but it's true!! I've never seen an android like you before!!

[His arm is grabbed, and Connor is lurched back rather unceremoniously back into the alleyway, right before he can step out into the sunlight.]

It's blood, not paint-! And-

[He somehow manages to keep his balance, turning his head to look at her again.]

I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but even if it's true that I've somehow inexplicably gone back in time, I can't stay with you. I have to find a way to get back home.

[Ai lets out an exasperated huff of breath.]

You're in California!! Unless you were here to begin with and whether you believe me or not, you'll still need my help!

[California?

So, apparently he's not only gone through time, but space as well. Hopped to the other end of the country, and Connor is trying his best to make all the connections he can with little to no evidence to support it.

Some things never change, some parts of his personality still adjusted to fit his original purpose.]

Can you prove it to me? All of this?

Um, I don't know if this is enough for an android, but...

[Letting go of Connor, Ai rummages through her skirt pocket and takes out a smartphone and unlocks the screen, holding it up to Connor's face so he can see the date, time, and weather, and location.]

Do you think I'd walk around with a device with the wrong date?

I...

[The phone flashes in his face, with numbers and dates that confirm her story. But to just see a screen isn't good enough; not for an android like Connor.

He holds out an expectant hand.]

May I see it, please?

Here.

[Ai places it in his hand and nods.]

Take your time.

[She rubs her forehead and crosses her arms thinking.]

We really have to get you new clothes though.

[Appreciative, he nods and takes the phone. Holding it in one hand, the touches a finger on the screen — a finger that’s turned white, glossy and plastic-looking, surely not like the flesh it had appeared to be just seconds ago. Connor then closes his eyes and… hacks into her wifi, ironically enough.

LTE? How archaic. That alone tells him something isn’t right, that this network is slow and sluggish and barely can handle his own advanced interfacing. But a second is all he needs. A single moment to touch the vast web of the internet, all the flow of information cascading around him, and the dates… the dates, the events, all of it, it confirms what she’s said. He’s in 2016. There’s no doubt about it.

He cuts off the connection with a jolt, dropping her phone. But so quickly he returns to reality that a millisecond later, Connor lurches down to catch it with his other hand. He pauses, still, then straightens.

Connor hands it to her.]

You’re… right. You weren’t lying.

[The comment about his clothes have flown right over his head in the wake of this revelation.]

How?

[Uh oh, her phone-- good he catches it. She takes it back and pushes it into her pocket.]

I really don't know.

[Ai Thao sighs shaking her head.]

It's like you just appeared out of nowhere. But however you came here, it wasn't kind to your body; it was a rough trip.

I was merely walking. Walking and turning a corner and-

[And then he was here. Connor purses his lips together, looking at her curiously and skeptically all the same.]

I think you owe me an explanation. Regarding who you are, what you did to fix me, and why the idea of time travel and androids is one you're so casual about.

Oh, geez... Where do I even start?

[She tugs on her single braid nervously, trying to rearrange the order of her thoughts once again. There's just so MUCH to explain and she's not sure if she's the best one to consult.]

Well, first off I'm--...

[And then there's a loud gurgling noise emitting from her stomach. Oops. Ai's face turns red and she looks at her strewn groceries on the ground.]

...

...

Hungry...

[He waits for an explanation, for anything that will clear up a handful of the questions encompassing his head.

But instead, he’s met with a growl of a stomach — and it certainly isn’t coming from him. Connor raises a brow.]

…

[And, stepping forward, he bends down to grab the half-spilled bag paper bag, then reaching out to place everything quickly and effectively back within.]

You can tell me after you eat, then. And we can deal with my clothing situation to the best of your judgment, too, if that will be a concern.

[Ai nods her face a little red as she places her hands over her stomach. So much for a serious conversation.]

Let's... Yeah. We'll go to my place so I can make something for myself.

[She pauses and looks at Connor again.]

Do you eat?

[He straightens with a rustle, a big bag of groceries held easily in his arms. He tilts his head ever so slightly at her, and blinks.]

I don't require food or drink like humans, no. But I can assist with the preparation if you prefer.

[Since she's willing to aid him, it's the least he can do.]

My name is Connor, by the way.

[She seems unsure about whether she'll have Connor carry the groceries or not. At least it's covering his chest where the blue blood has made a mess of his clothing.]

Connor... It's good to make your acquaintance then! Even under these circumstances.

[She gives him a friendly smile and bows her head to him.]

I'm Ai Thao Kha. I don't know if there's anything useful in my apartment room for an android, but I do want to help you out as best as I can. And I'll try to explain what I just did too.

[He nods in acknowledgment, shifting the groceries in his arms. To be honest, he has considered the fact that it covers his blood like this, and should draw less suspicion when they walk.

(Nothing to be done about the big glowing letters of "ANDROID" on the back of his jacket, though.)]

It's good to meet you. And I don't only mean that because you saved my life.

[But it's mostly that.]

Please lead the way. I'm sure your living arrangements should suit me just fine for the time being.

[He's so polite! Ai blinks a few more times because she has to remind herself, this is an android. Not a human, it's an imitation...

Is he though? If that was the case, she wouldn't have been able to heal him effectively as she did.]

You're welcome! I did what I could.

Let's get moving before anyone passes by.

→ → →

[They're able to get to Ai's apartment with more discretion than expected, probably because she was standing behind Connor the whole way there without anyone really looking at him. Just a nice man helping out a young woman with her groceries, no big deal. She closes the door behind the both of them, sighing in relief.]

Okay, meal time. Ah, but you should change your shirt first! Is your jacket laundry friendly?

[She gestures to the counter island so that Connor can set down the groceries before she moves to her room to see what she can make do with.

The apartment is small but modern and sleek. It's well-kept, not professionally so but rather the result of Ai working hard to make sure her living space is clean and refreshing.

She calls to Connor from her room.]

In the fridge, can you take out a container that has salmon in it? That's going to be my meal!

[He follows obideitnly enough, though it's obvious that he's glancing around, attempting to take in the surroundings the entire time.

When they reach her apartment, it really does seem very old-fashioned to him. Connor comes from a world of high-tech, super sleek, ultra-modern design and architecture. This is all still very foreign to him, as if he's just a visitor (which he is), but in a way it does seem very... quaint. If circumstances were not so strange, he wouldn't mind it very much at all.

He sets the groceries down, then casts a glance down at his clothes. For the first time, he really gets a chance to look, and-- well. It's a mess. His shirt and jacket are stained through with blood all across the front, and it's even gotten on his slim tie. At least his jeans seem untouched by his synthetic blood.

Connor shrugs off the jacket.]

Dry clean only, actually.

[He blinks again once he hears the request regarding the salmon. Having never actually cooked, but at least knowing what a salmon looks like, he wanders over to the kitchen and opens the fridge door. The salmon is taken out, glanced over curiously, and set on the counter.]

What else should I do?

Um...

Rice! There's some in the rice cooker that's been on the warm setting. Can you get a large bowl and put two big scoops in it? Almost done, I don't have anything big enough... Ah.

[ There are more rustling noises and she calls out to him again.]

And a pair of chopsticks, please! It's in the counter underneath the rice cooker. Thank you and sorry for imposing on you!

... Make that three scoops of rice.

[she... eats a lot... ]

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