I do remember. But influence... that’s one thing. I want you to make those kinds of decisions — not jumping into a busy fuckin’ street — because it’s the right choice. Because you care about yourself. ‘Cause you know that others care about you and don’t wanna see you hurt.
Besides. [Hank shrugs.] I’m not exactly the best person to listen to.
You do. [Hank nods slowly, wondering if he’s walking into another miscommunication or if Connor believes what he’s saying.] And you... accept that, right? You aren’t just humoring me, right? Because you matter a whole damn lot, Connor.
Okay. [Hank gives a Connor a slack-jawed look.] The fuck is that supposed to mean? Because I know you aren’t saying that, what, I’m imagining your worth? Because we could swap the tables there, Con. Could say I don’t mean jack shit, either.
[Which... Hank wouldn’t disagree with, exactly, but that’s besides the point.]
Hank, you're human and I'm... [That's honestly a tricky question right now. He feels like he's on the cusp of deviating, similar to the test at Kamski's.]
[Hank wishes he could somehow show Connor everything that the Connor from his world experienced. Everything he saw. Because it doesn’t matter that Connor is an android. It hasn’t mattered for a long time.]
You matter to me. And I’m sure you matter to your friends from Solmara. You matter to — [despite the depressing subject matter, Hank can’t help the soft, sad smile on his lips] — Catdog. Giving him your food rations, yeah? What would he have done without that?
I’m not worth more than you just ‘cause I’m human, Connor.
[“Hell, I’m worth less,” Hank almost says. But he doesn’t want to divert the conversation toward self-deprecating nonsense again, even though it’s true.]
[Connor listens to what Hank says, absorbs it, but the conclusion he still arrives at is,] Humans have inherent value. Even if you deny it.
[He pauses before he flicks his gaze back up to Hank.] I believe I told you of a hostage situation I diffused. I was sent in because the danger to a human would be too great. They were right. It was an incredibly dangerous situation. I was shot in a place that could be easily swapped out. A human would take surgery, possibly weeks of physical therapy.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2025-03-01 10:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-01 10:54 pm (UTC)[Hank smiles softly.]
You telling me they didn’t program you to be a wiseass who gets on my nerves, Connor?
no subject
Date: 2025-03-01 11:08 pm (UTC)[Connor smiles over at Hank in return.]
no subject
Date: 2025-03-01 11:11 pm (UTC)[That million watt smile...!]
See? You’re you. Always been you. Finding yourself along the way, just like the rest of us.
[And Connor will make that final push soon: Hank is sure of it. Because the alternative is, of course, unacceptable.]
no subject
Date: 2025-03-01 11:14 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-01 11:18 pm (UTC)In some ways, sure. Other ways, maybe not so much. But that’s...
I want you to be happy, Connor. And safe. Both. I don’t think I’ll get to see that unless you deviate.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-01 11:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-01 11:30 pm (UTC)I do remember. But influence... that’s one thing. I want you to make those kinds of decisions — not jumping into a busy fuckin’ street — because it’s the right choice. Because you care about yourself. ‘Cause you know that others care about you and don’t wanna see you hurt.
Besides. [Hank shrugs.] I’m not exactly the best person to listen to.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-02 12:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-02 07:50 am (UTC)You do. [Hank nods slowly, wondering if he’s walking into another miscommunication or if Connor believes what he’s saying.] And you... accept that, right? You aren’t just humoring me, right? Because you matter a whole damn lot, Connor.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-02 06:13 pm (UTC)[Connor nods, but he's phrased this very specifically.]
no subject
Date: 2025-03-03 10:45 pm (UTC)Okay. [Hank gives a Connor a slack-jawed look.] The fuck is that supposed to mean? Because I know you aren’t saying that, what, I’m imagining your worth? Because we could swap the tables there, Con. Could say I don’t mean jack shit, either.
[Which... Hank wouldn’t disagree with, exactly, but that’s besides the point.]
no subject
Date: 2025-03-06 01:47 am (UTC)I'm not human. Humans have inherent value.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-06 01:14 pm (UTC)[Hank wishes he could somehow show Connor everything that the Connor from his world experienced. Everything he saw. Because it doesn’t matter that Connor is an android. It hasn’t mattered for a long time.]
You matter to me. And I’m sure you matter to your friends from Solmara. You matter to — [despite the depressing subject matter, Hank can’t help the soft, sad smile on his lips] — Catdog. Giving him your food rations, yeah? What would he have done without that?
I’m not worth more than you just ‘cause I’m human, Connor.
[“Hell, I’m worth less,” Hank almost says. But he doesn’t want to divert the conversation toward self-deprecating nonsense again, even though it’s true.]
no subject
Date: 2025-03-11 09:00 pm (UTC)[He pauses before he flicks his gaze back up to Hank.] I believe I told you of a hostage situation I diffused. I was sent in because the danger to a human would be too great. They were right. It was an incredibly dangerous situation. I was shot in a place that could be easily swapped out. A human would take surgery, possibly weeks of physical therapy.
I would not want you to be in such a situation.