sweethymns | ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ

[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... ]

[Are you sure you want him to handle all your food while wearing these blood-soaked clothes...

But Connor will do as he's asked, anyway. They're simple enough tasks for him, after all, and he goes for the rice and chopsticks with ease.

Yet when she amends her request for a third scoop, he calls back-]

Three? I said you didn't have to share with me, remember?

Oh.

No, that's all for me.

[she hungry]

Don't worry about it. Anyways, I think I might have something for you to wear, but I hope you don't mind it...

[Ai Thao comes out with a white t-shirt brows furrowed as if she wished she had something better. She holds it out to Connor.]

This is a large sized shirt. My sister bought this for me as a joke, but other than that it should fit your build. Sorry it's so weird.

Did you not eat at all today?

[It's a legitimate question! But one that trials off, almost forgotten, when she returns with clothing in-hand. He takes the shirt, holding it up and reading the text across it. He has no real opinion on it (it seems like it'll fit him, and it'll be easy enough to move in), and he's silent for a moment or two.

He then lowers his arms to look at her.]

It looks like it'll fit me fine, so there shouldn't be a problem. But how much did this shirt cost you?

[joke

connor's head]

Ah.

[Okay, so that at least reminds her that she's talking to an android; she can see the joke fly over his head and hit the opposite wall.

But she waves it off.]

Don't worry about it. You can change in the bathroom. Thank you for setting up some of my food!

[Her eyes are laser-focused on having delicious marinated salmon over rice. She's been waiting for this! It's almost more exciting than finding an android from the FUTURE]

[Must he treat this shirt with the upmost care? Surely, because it's obviously a very expensive article of clothing and she's very kind to let him wear it. He just nods, smiling a little, and disappears into the bathroom for a moment.

Coming out, he's wearing the t-shirt, with his bloody clothes folded neatly in his hands. He places them near where he's left his jacket, and wanders over to the table where Ai's seated to eat. He takes it upon himself to draw up an empty chair and take his own seat.]

So, now that food and clothing is settled [DOESN'T HE LOOK SO FASHIONABLE....], I thought we might continue our prior conversation.

[She's made her salmon rice bowl, with the fish arranged in a flowery pattern, topped with some wasabi and seaweed strips. Of course, she's already attacked it so by the time Connor is done changing, about a third of the bowl's contents has been consumed. Ai looks up at the android with stuffed cheeks and chewing and trying to register his new appearance.

It's... Well... Look. At least it fits.

She continues to chew and digest and nods at Connor. She swallows and takes a deep breath. And then scoops another bunch of rice with fish and stuffing her mouth as if she hadn't eaten in days. An index finger is held up as she tries to speak with a muffled voice.]

1 min'...! Eatin'.

[Like a squirrel...]

[Yes, the shirt fits. It sure... does.

But Connor blinks in surprise at the zest directed towards her food. The way she's stuffing her face, practically wolfing down the contents of her bowl. He's told to wait and he will, straight-backed with his hands in his lap, watching her eat. He's fairly certain he's never seen a human eat quite like this before.

He waits. But then:]

You should chew your food. Eating too quickly will give you indigestion, not to mention heighten the risk of you accidentally choking.

Hm?

[That breaks her focus and she swallows, takes a drink of water from a tall glass before she replies to Connor.]

I am chewing. I'm really fast at it, that's all.

Not that I'm saying you're wrong though. I'm just used to eating fast since I burn calories really quickly compared to most people.

[Oh? That's interesting. Connor puts his elbows on the table, leaning forward a little with interest.]

I see. Is that because of your unusual abilities?

[She nods through another bite and properly swallows again before replying.]

That's mostly it. I'm applying a lot of brain power especially if I'm emitting my own energy like that to apply it to an intense process like the healing I did for you.

[That make sense, of course. The more energy exerted, the more required to recover, to replace. The fact that every meal of hers must look something like this, he thinks, would be the only natural conclusion to come to.]

And so we loop back around to my original request for information. Will you tell me what it is you do, exactly? Where these 'brain powers' of yours come from, and what they consist of?

Right...

[Chopsticks stir at a portion of rice as Ai contemplates on how to answer. She opts to be as straightforward as possible even if the logic of it may not work for an android.]

I'm what they call a psychic. The definition of that is broad I know and I happen to have a broad range of abilities compared to other people in that categories. I was born with my powers and I can do anything from healing, moving and twisting objects that are bigger than myself or just emit pure energy.

[Connor doesn't operate only on logic — instinct and emotion still come into play in his everyday life. And yet one can hardly blame him for his immediate reply.]

Psychics don’t exist.

[This, of course, contradicts what he had seen happen to him when he was in the alleyway, bleeding out. He shakes his head, as if trying to reconcile this with what he knows.]

That is, I’ve never heard of one, never seen proof of one existing until today.

[She nibbles at a piece of fish looking apologetic.]

To be fair, I never heard of an android that has your sort of autonomy and independent action until today either. It is what it is I guess! You're really lucky I found you.

[It’s a good point, but it wasn’t his point. Connor brings up a hand to scrub very briefly at his face, then drops it back down on the table.]

I think in this case I have no choice but to accept what you’re telling me as the truth. But you say you’ve never seen an android until today—

[It would make sense. 2016. Too far back in the past — and some of what he saw on the internet, a lot of it didn’t match up to what he knew. He wonders if it’s really just the past that he’s wandered into. Temporal and spatial phenomenon, leading him into some strange version of the world he doesn’t recognize?

It would explain the… psychics.]

You’re not afraid of me? Not even a little bit wary?

[There's a mild look of surprise at his question.]

... Should I be scared? [Her head tilts in confusion.]

I mean, you were hurt after all. I didn't think about whether you were something or someone to be afraid of or not...

And you carried my groceries...

[He looks surprised for a moment at that response, eyes widening slightly and leaning back. It’s— well. It’s very trusting of her to think that, to accept him into her home without knowing anything about who he is. (Or what he is, as many would think.) It’s not as if he hasn’t met those who were similar-minded when it came to androids, just wanting to help in the end (he thinks of Hank, and wonders what he’s up to right now); but this is different. She hasn’t even the faintest idea of the sort of android that he is. In this world, he shouldn't even exist.

It’s… strange.]

Humans are generally quick to distrust what they don’t understand. It can be… frightening, I imagine, to meet someone like myself for the first time, with no frame of reference to help aid the shock of the revelation.

But you seem to not mind it at all.

...

[Ai is silent before she sets down her chopsticks which were made of a sleek metal material.]

There's a lot of unknown things in this world that humans aren't aware of. There's already a lot of conflict over minor differences.

[She hovers her hand over the chopsticks and they begin to shudder. And then they bend at a 90-degree angle as if it were made from taffy.]

I'm probably one of those things people wouldn't understand. What they would find frightening and distrustful.

[He watches the chopsticks warp and bend, with the look of someone who's seeing it for the first time. His brow cinches, and he has to wrench his eyes back up to Ai.]

You're implying that your kind stays hidden from the rest of society?

[More threads of connections coming together. That would explain why she didn't want anyone to see them in the alleyway.]

In the larger context, we do.

[Ai returns the chopsticks to their original form although there's a small dent from where there was a dent.]

I mean, people know psychics from stories and such and there are even minor ones that make a business out of it. But people here aren't aware of how widespread it is.

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