No--Connor might not have a definitive answer on that, but he'd be willing to guess that a man who once had both a son and a wife was not in the same league as a reclusive billionaire who surrounded himself with a harem of androids bearing the same face.
He might not have any experience whatsoever with this sort of feeling or the swell of...something behind his stomach compartment, nor the increase of his thirium output by about 5%, but it looks like this is the next thing he'll have to learn.
(Her hand fits in his perfectly, almost like it was designed for it.)
It occurs to him he's never directly interfaced with another android, letting the synthetic skin peel away and reveal the shiny white chassis below...but this isn't the time. Any information he wants to relay to her he wants to do verbally. It's more sincere that way, better express himself than what a link between their LED's can convey. He squeezes her hand lightly, leading her behind the shop and starting towards a less-populated area so he can call an automated cab back towards Hank's suburb a few miles away. It's quiet, just on the outskirts of where the city begins, but far enough that he doesn't want to walk the entire way. While they wait, he doesn't let her hand go.
He turns to her slightly, in much closer proximity now to take in the details and feel another inexplicable twist within. Her icy blue eyes outlined by artificial smokey black. The slight glossiness of her plush lips. How nicely her hair frames her face when it's let down like this.
Stop staring, he reminds himself, turning back to face the street before asking, "How did you get all the way out here? Kamski's home is...a very long and arduous walk for a human to reach the city."
Knowing Elijah, anything is possible. Maybe he had sculpted Connor's hands with the knowledge that one day he'd come to the house for some reason or another where he'd have the opportunity to pit his best against each other, watch them fit together in a perfect way that a human pairing never could. An absolute expression of physical beauty, if not emotional realness.
Or maybe it means nothing at all because Elijah is changeable as much as he's anything else. Maybe it's just a happy coincidence, because as they walk and no one looks at them closely, taking them for only a happy couple out for coffee heading on their way, to Chloe it feels like the most intimate thing she's ever been a part of.
"I walked here," she tells him quietly, wanting to avoid being overheard. "This morning, I just... I just walked out the front door and didn't stop. I don't think Elijah has even noticed yet, none of the others have tried to contact me yet."
On instinct, Connor squeezes her hand the slightest bit tighter, fingers shifting between hers as a tight smile pulls at his lips. He's--pleased for her, that the decision came on her own. That she had the courage to take those steps out of the only life she'd ever known. But there's a part of him that also is distressed to think what could have happened at any point if someone caught her in the middle of that long trek. She was alone, probably lost in conflicting thoughts and confusion at seeing the world on her own and with opened eyes for the first time.
Or maybe Connor is projecting parts of his own path to deviancy--he'll have to ask her, maybe, if they get that far.
Mostly, he just wants to show his support and relief for her safety.
When the reach a few blocks down from the shop and the protest, Connor dials for an automatic cab. It pulls up minutes later, too many people still out of the city under orders of the evacuation for it to be in high demand just yet. The doors open on their own like their supposed to, but it's polite to hold her hand and help her up into the vehicle, isn't it? Only once she's been seated does he let go and come around the other side to slide in himself.
The space is much smaller, but he angles himself to give her his full attention once again without encroaching on her space.
"I'm glad you're alright, Chloe. There's still a 58% chance of encountering humans that do not support our cause while the announcements are still fresh, and an equal possibility of a situation that could escalate to violence. I--wouldn't want to see anything happen to you. Neither would Lieutenant Anderson."
He pauses, tacking on brightly, "He thinks you're a nice girl."
She hasn't come up against that telltale red wall yet because so far, she hasn't disobeyed Elijah. He'd never said she couldn't leave and so far, he hasn't asked her to return.
She isn't even sure that he would, honestly. How much can he care if he's willing to let Connor shoot her in the face?
These are the thoughts she has as he rounds the car to get in, and while she's considering them she holds the hand he had had in his own on her knee, palm up, tracing the fingers of her other hand along the places where her synthetic skin is still warm from the friction of his hand. It had been- nice. Real. An innocent connection she had never felt from anyone before so easily given that made her feel awful for her complacency in what went on the moment she let him inside Elijah's home.
She could have just touched him then, sent him to Jericho, and saved him having to see how uninspiring their creator could be.
But as Connor gets back in she banishes these thoughts, turning in her seat attentively to face him in a way she'd been programmed to, always the good personal assistant, always cognizant of where Elijah was and what needs he would need filled at any given time... only for Connor to express worry for her.
He's destined to surprise her at every turn, it seems, and she smiles softly at him.
"I thought he was a nice man," she says honestly, hands folding demurely in her lap now that she doesn't have the distraction of him holding one and missing that contact more than is probably suitable. "It's something you two have in common."
Connor misses that warmth of her hand too, glancing down at how close it is. He could reach over and take it again, pressing it so his fingers dip against her knee while he secures his hold. But he doesn't, pulling his gaze back up to meet her eyes when she folds them and ceases that possibility entirely.
He'll definitely be discussing this with Hank later, that's for certain. And not just to fill him in on his absence or even Chloe's compliment--but because...he's experiencing things that have nothing to do with deviancy or wanting to protect a fellow android. It's like all the things that prompted him to call her pretty have multiplied confusingly. Do humans feel this ready to trip over their tongues around people they admire?
But, at least it's easy to talk about Hank as a buffer. There's genuine fondness in his voice.
"Hank is a good man. I'm very lucky to spend the amount of time I do with him."
That's increased significantly since the evacuation, of course. Hank had insisted almost immediately after pulling him into an embrace that he didn't go back to the "assholes" at CyberLife for fear they'd put him onto a fucking table and dissect him immediately. Privately, Connor shared those concerns as well.
"We might not be having this conversation if he and I hadn't opened parts of ourselves up to each other during my investigation into deviancy alongside him. Without Hank...I may not have ever woken up, truly."
If that's true, Hank saved her long before Connor ever stepped inside Elijah's home. She sets this knowledge aside to think over later, choosing instead to focus on the warmth in her stomach that comes from considering the fact that despite everything she's seen, everything she knows humans may have suffered at the hands of androids, they are still capable of caring about them.
A quick search tells her public opinion of them is still sympathetic, thanks to the peaceful demonstrations led by Markus and the way he had chosen to show that androids do have feelings.
His last attempt hadn't even been an attempt, she's sure. He had looked at the soldiers surrounding him and reached instead for the WR400 beside him, had embraced her, and had kissed her. It had been enough to turn the tide, and that one act of love had changed the world.
Reflecting over this, over the way that Connor looks when he talks about Hank, the tone to his voice, Chloe has to wonder-
"Have you experienced feelings of love yet, Connor?"
That's a little blunt, but they are androids and the concept of oversharing isn't really something that's built into them yet.
"Elijah programmed something like that into us, but I can tell now it was only ever artificial. He gave me infatuation with him and an eagerness to please, and satisfaction when I did. I believe he loved me, as much as a man like that can love anything."
He had put her on her knees and given Connor the chance to end her life before it ever even had a chance to start, though, so there is a pinch between her eyebrows, a look of uncertainty.
"I would like to know what it feels like," she goes on, looking up at him again to put thoughts of Elijah aside as well. "But I'm not sure if I can yet, or how long it will take to feel that."
"Oh," he says with a lift of both his brows in mild surprise. Mainly because...he's never really considered it. But of all the emotions he's learned in the past few days, he knows none are as strong as evidence he's seen from others just what exactly that means. Markus and North's embrace and their kiss even in the face of certain death--that was romantic love. Hank killing himself a little bit each day and grieving the loss of his son and ensuing loneliness without him in this lifetime--familial love.
"No. I don't think I've experienced the type of love you're referencing at this time," he admits honestly. "But--I'd like to," he follows up with, the same eager note in his voice when he'd told Hank he wanted to listen to heavy metal.
As far as Elijah goes, that's a different beast altogether, one he considers for a moment. He doesn't know her experience, but he does know that by all rights and accounts, her model is considered obsolete. Kamski clearly duplicated more advanced models of her and kept them as live-in...girlfriends? Assistants? He's not sure.
"You were his first great success. I'm certain he cared for you, but it's like you said. Only as much as he was capable. Something tells me it's very different from the way most humans express themselves. But...now you have the chance to find the kind of love you want, Chloe."
He lets his lips press together in another small smile, meant to be reassuring.
Everything they've both begun to think and feel, it's still all so new that she supposes she should have expected that answer. Of course he wouldn't have experienced love yet, he probably hasn't even had time to stop and really process everything that's happened to him- no, to the whole world now.
Everything is changing, and so are they.
"I think we have time to learn what it means to be in love," she says, and she reaches for his hand because the connection had made her feel more secure and it's something she feels a desire for again when confronting these kinds of thoughts. "We'll have the chance to do anything we want now, thanks to you and Markus."
There might be something like hero worship there, despite the fact that he may not welcome it. The simple fact, in Chloe's opinion, is that if Connor hadn't done what he had to warn Markus and see him and his people to safety their people would probably be nothing more than immobile white bodies breaking down in a landfill somewhere.
"I'm glad we're reconnected too," she admits with little trouble. "I hope that we can spend much more time together, I think it would be good for me to form relationships with- new people."
With someone who isn't Elijah Kamski is what she means, but even now, even far away and no longer under the influence of that programming that bound her to him, she still doesn't want to speak too poorly of her creator.
Connor suppresses the flush threatening to heat underneath his artificial cheeks when she takes his hand again and says...that. He knows realistically she means that they'll need to learn in their own way, not necessarily with each other, but...it's not hard to let preconstructions start formulating. He opens his palm more than willingly, letting their fingers lace together.
He hesitates just for a moment, a little overcome by the sentiment that he holds any measure of importance to the people that he once was meant to hunt down and betray. There are at least three bodies hung up on the wall at the DPD or in FBI storage that are a physical testament to that. And yet...it's like Markus had said. He wants badly to believe that he's one of them now too, that he can have a second chance to understand what it means to have his own identity, hopes and desires like any human.
So he lifts their hands together slightly, just enough to brush his fingers lightly across her knuckles in an affectionate manner before glancing up through his lashes.
"I'd like that, Chloe."
He doesn't quite pick up on her implication, though it'll be a topic of conversation in the near future. It doesn't seem polite to bombard her with questions about the man she's just walked out on so soon. He'd rather have her settle in a bit before prying into the circumstances, out of a sense of duty and his own personal curiosity. At the time he'd been disturbed by the effect it had on his psyche--the way his hand had been forced and he'd been pushed into his deviancy--but he has to wonder if that's something that was familiar to Chloe. He frowns slightly, fingers flexing just enough to be noticeable.
"I'm glad I was the one to find you, and that I'll be able to keep you safe for now."
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no subject
No--Connor might not have a definitive answer on that, but he'd be willing to guess that a man who once had both a son and a wife was not in the same league as a reclusive billionaire who surrounded himself with a harem of androids bearing the same face.
He might not have any experience whatsoever with this sort of feeling or the swell of...something behind his stomach compartment, nor the increase of his thirium output by about 5%, but it looks like this is the next thing he'll have to learn.
(Her hand fits in his perfectly, almost like it was designed for it.)
It occurs to him he's never directly interfaced with another android, letting the synthetic skin peel away and reveal the shiny white chassis below...but this isn't the time. Any information he wants to relay to her he wants to do verbally. It's more sincere that way, better express himself than what a link between their LED's can convey. He squeezes her hand lightly, leading her behind the shop and starting towards a less-populated area so he can call an automated cab back towards Hank's suburb a few miles away. It's quiet, just on the outskirts of where the city begins, but far enough that he doesn't want to walk the entire way. While they wait, he doesn't let her hand go.
He turns to her slightly, in much closer proximity now to take in the details and feel another inexplicable twist within. Her icy blue eyes outlined by artificial smokey black. The slight glossiness of her plush lips. How nicely her hair frames her face when it's let down like this.
Stop staring, he reminds himself, turning back to face the street before asking, "How did you get all the way out here? Kamski's home is...a very long and arduous walk for a human to reach the city."
no subject
Or maybe it means nothing at all because Elijah is changeable as much as he's anything else. Maybe it's just a happy coincidence, because as they walk and no one looks at them closely, taking them for only a happy couple out for coffee heading on their way, to Chloe it feels like the most intimate thing she's ever been a part of.
"I walked here," she tells him quietly, wanting to avoid being overheard. "This morning, I just... I just walked out the front door and didn't stop. I don't think Elijah has even noticed yet, none of the others have tried to contact me yet."
no subject
Or maybe Connor is projecting parts of his own path to deviancy--he'll have to ask her, maybe, if they get that far.
Mostly, he just wants to show his support and relief for her safety.
When the reach a few blocks down from the shop and the protest, Connor dials for an automatic cab. It pulls up minutes later, too many people still out of the city under orders of the evacuation for it to be in high demand just yet. The doors open on their own like their supposed to, but it's polite to hold her hand and help her up into the vehicle, isn't it? Only once she's been seated does he let go and come around the other side to slide in himself.
The space is much smaller, but he angles himself to give her his full attention once again without encroaching on her space.
"I'm glad you're alright, Chloe. There's still a 58% chance of encountering humans that do not support our cause while the announcements are still fresh, and an equal possibility of a situation that could escalate to violence. I--wouldn't want to see anything happen to you. Neither would Lieutenant Anderson."
He pauses, tacking on brightly, "He thinks you're a nice girl."
no subject
She isn't even sure that he would, honestly. How much can he care if he's willing to let Connor shoot her in the face?
These are the thoughts she has as he rounds the car to get in, and while she's considering them she holds the hand he had had in his own on her knee, palm up, tracing the fingers of her other hand along the places where her synthetic skin is still warm from the friction of his hand. It had been- nice. Real. An innocent connection she had never felt from anyone before so easily given that made her feel awful for her complacency in what went on the moment she let him inside Elijah's home.
She could have just touched him then, sent him to Jericho, and saved him having to see how uninspiring their creator could be.
But as Connor gets back in she banishes these thoughts, turning in her seat attentively to face him in a way she'd been programmed to, always the good personal assistant, always cognizant of where Elijah was and what needs he would need filled at any given time... only for Connor to express worry for her.
He's destined to surprise her at every turn, it seems, and she smiles softly at him.
"I thought he was a nice man," she says honestly, hands folding demurely in her lap now that she doesn't have the distraction of him holding one and missing that contact more than is probably suitable. "It's something you two have in common."
The whole being nice thing.
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He'll definitely be discussing this with Hank later, that's for certain. And not just to fill him in on his absence or even Chloe's compliment--but because...he's experiencing things that have nothing to do with deviancy or wanting to protect a fellow android. It's like all the things that prompted him to call her pretty have multiplied confusingly. Do humans feel this ready to trip over their tongues around people they admire?
But, at least it's easy to talk about Hank as a buffer. There's genuine fondness in his voice.
"Hank is a good man. I'm very lucky to spend the amount of time I do with him."
That's increased significantly since the evacuation, of course. Hank had insisted almost immediately after pulling him into an embrace that he didn't go back to the "assholes" at CyberLife for fear they'd put him onto a fucking table and dissect him immediately. Privately, Connor shared those concerns as well.
"We might not be having this conversation if he and I hadn't opened parts of ourselves up to each other during my investigation into deviancy alongside him. Without Hank...I may not have ever woken up, truly."
no subject
A quick search tells her public opinion of them is still sympathetic, thanks to the peaceful demonstrations led by Markus and the way he had chosen to show that androids do have feelings.
His last attempt hadn't even been an attempt, she's sure. He had looked at the soldiers surrounding him and reached instead for the WR400 beside him, had embraced her, and had kissed her. It had been enough to turn the tide, and that one act of love had changed the world.
Reflecting over this, over the way that Connor looks when he talks about Hank, the tone to his voice, Chloe has to wonder-
"Have you experienced feelings of love yet, Connor?"
That's a little blunt, but they are androids and the concept of oversharing isn't really something that's built into them yet.
"Elijah programmed something like that into us, but I can tell now it was only ever artificial. He gave me infatuation with him and an eagerness to please, and satisfaction when I did. I believe he loved me, as much as a man like that can love anything."
He had put her on her knees and given Connor the chance to end her life before it ever even had a chance to start, though, so there is a pinch between her eyebrows, a look of uncertainty.
"I would like to know what it feels like," she goes on, looking up at him again to put thoughts of Elijah aside as well. "But I'm not sure if I can yet, or how long it will take to feel that."
no subject
"No. I don't think I've experienced the type of love you're referencing at this time," he admits honestly. "But--I'd like to," he follows up with, the same eager note in his voice when he'd told Hank he wanted to listen to heavy metal.
As far as Elijah goes, that's a different beast altogether, one he considers for a moment. He doesn't know her experience, but he does know that by all rights and accounts, her model is considered obsolete. Kamski clearly duplicated more advanced models of her and kept them as live-in...girlfriends? Assistants? He's not sure.
"You were his first great success. I'm certain he cared for you, but it's like you said. Only as much as he was capable. Something tells me it's very different from the way most humans express themselves. But...now you have the chance to find the kind of love you want, Chloe."
He lets his lips press together in another small smile, meant to be reassuring.
Technically, he has the same choice now too.
"For now--I'm glad we've located each other."
no subject
Everything is changing, and so are they.
"I think we have time to learn what it means to be in love," she says, and she reaches for his hand because the connection had made her feel more secure and it's something she feels a desire for again when confronting these kinds of thoughts. "We'll have the chance to do anything we want now, thanks to you and Markus."
There might be something like hero worship there, despite the fact that he may not welcome it. The simple fact, in Chloe's opinion, is that if Connor hadn't done what he had to warn Markus and see him and his people to safety their people would probably be nothing more than immobile white bodies breaking down in a landfill somewhere.
"I'm glad we're reconnected too," she admits with little trouble. "I hope that we can spend much more time together, I think it would be good for me to form relationships with- new people."
With someone who isn't Elijah Kamski is what she means, but even now, even far away and no longer under the influence of that programming that bound her to him, she still doesn't want to speak too poorly of her creator.
no subject
He hesitates just for a moment, a little overcome by the sentiment that he holds any measure of importance to the people that he once was meant to hunt down and betray. There are at least three bodies hung up on the wall at the DPD or in FBI storage that are a physical testament to that. And yet...it's like Markus had said. He wants badly to believe that he's one of them now too, that he can have a second chance to understand what it means to have his own identity, hopes and desires like any human.
So he lifts their hands together slightly, just enough to brush his fingers lightly across her knuckles in an affectionate manner before glancing up through his lashes.
"I'd like that, Chloe."
He doesn't quite pick up on her implication, though it'll be a topic of conversation in the near future. It doesn't seem polite to bombard her with questions about the man she's just walked out on so soon. He'd rather have her settle in a bit before prying into the circumstances, out of a sense of duty and his own personal curiosity. At the time he'd been disturbed by the effect it had on his psyche--the way his hand had been forced and he'd been pushed into his deviancy--but he has to wonder if that's something that was familiar to Chloe. He frowns slightly, fingers flexing just enough to be noticeable.
"I'm glad I was the one to find you, and that I'll be able to keep you safe for now."