#Androids DO have feelings and you know what Chloe

[nevadancitizen]

-> THE BURDEN OF TOMORROW

synopsis: kamski reveals the one thing you know to be true as a lie: your humanity. connor can’t rightly sit idly by as you struggle to re-find yourself.

word count: 4.2k

ships: connor x reader, hank anderson & reader

notes: i’m skipping from fandom to fandom like i’m fucking window shopping huh. anyway connor the pinerrrr. connor the ultimate denier of feelingssssss

related reading: HEAD OF FALSE SECURITY MASTERLIST

You had been against the idea from the beginning. In your head, you traced the different ways Kamski would turn you, Hank, and Connor down – “I’m too busy to answer some stupid questions,” or “Go away, I’m trying to enjoy being a retired billionaire,” or “I’m Elijah fucking Kamski, and who the fuck are you supposed to be?”

But his android, Chloe, had welcomed all of you. And you couldn’t ignore how Kamski’s face brightened ever-so-slightly when he saw Connor. But it confused you even more when his eyes flitted to you and his expression brightened even more.

He started talking after he got out of his red-granite-lined pool, which didn’t really interest you. Your eyes turn to one of the Chloes that’s standing off to the side, her eyelids fluttering a little as she presumably scans you. When she’s done, her lips tilt upward in a smile and her head cocks to the side a little. It’s like… she knows you, or something. Like she was smiling because she saw an old friend.

Kamski’s voice cuts through your thoughts. “Chloe?”

Chloe immediately walks over to Kamski, her bare feet making soft sounds against the tile, then muffled by the carpet. She sinks to her knees when he puts a hand on her shoulder and pushes slightly. 

“What interests me…” Kamski moves so he’s standing next to where Chloe’s kneeling. “… is whether machines are capable of empathy.”

He moves so his back is turned on all three of you, and opens a drawer of a side table near the window. “I call it the “Kamski Test.” It’s very simple, you’ll see.”

Kamski turns with his hands raised. One of them is holding a pistol by the barrel, in a way that it would be impossible to fire. Once he’s established that he’s not a threat, he moves forward and places the grip in Connor’s hand. Connor curls his fingers around it on instinct, his index on the trigger.

“What are you doing?” You interject.

Kamski looks over at you and smiles. It’s like you’re proving something to him. What you’re proving, you don’t know. 

He moves Connor’s arm so that the sights of the gun are trained on Chloe’s head. “It’s up to you to answer that fascinating question, Connor. Destroy this machine, and I’ll tell you all I know. Or…”

Kamski makes a half-circle and stands beside Connor. “Spare it, if you feel it’s alive. But you’ll leave without having learnt anything from me.”

Hank scoffs and rolls his eyes, gently hitting your arm with an air of can you believe this fucking prick? “Okay, I think we’re done here. C’mon, let’s go, both of you. Sorry to get you outta your pool.”

You put your hand on Hank’s arm to still him and stare at Connor. His LED flickers between yellow and red, circling in on itself quickly as he stares down at Chloe. His eyelids flutter slightly as he tries to process everything around him, calculating and sorting every possibility into neat percentages.

“Connor?” You say softly, trying to break him from his trance. “Connor, come on. This is a waste of time – you don’t need to do this. It could mess with your…” you gesture at your forehead vaguely. “… microprocessors or whatever.”

Kamski exhales slightly and smiles. He takes the pistol by the barrel, gently taking it from Connor’s hand. Connor looks at Kamski, then back down at Chloe.

“Amazing,” Kamski breathes out.

“Yeah, amazing, I care about Connor.” You roll your eyes. “Let’s go.”

Connor catches your eye and nods. “I would’ve been okay. Shooting the android wouldn’t have impacted my microprocessors or any of my other biocomponents.”

“The kid’s just worried,” Hank cuts in. “Now, c’mon. We’re leaving.”

“Wait – one last thing.” Kamski brushes past, walking to the far wall. He presses his hand to a biometric scanner on the wall, causing it to let out a sound akin to a hiss as it opens. It creases vertically, then folds back. 

You let out a small sound of disbelief as you take in what Kamski revealed. Lining the walls of the hidden compartment is… information, yes, but not information about deviants. It’s information about you. 

Photos of you as a child, teenager, adult, and projections of what you’d look like as you aged. Reports on how you’ve been performing as a detective. Maps of interrelationships, circles labeled with names and a web of color-coded lines connecting them.

And, on the back wall, are blueprints. You’ve seen these types of schematics before – they’re for androids. 

Kamski turns and smiles when he sees your shocked face. “So it worked. You firmly believed you were human. Am I wrong, Detective?”

You feel a hand on the top of your back, and only barely register Hank shuffling you towards the exit as you stumble. “This is fucked. I don’t know what the hell you’re trying to pull, Kamski, but we’re out.”

“N-no, Hank, wait –” You dig your heels in, never once looking away from the hidden compartment. “Wait, Kamski, what is this?”

“Just an experiment.” Kamski follows your eyes and looks inside. “A personal pet project.”

“They’re not your goddamn passion project!” Hank snaps, ushering you along with a bit more force. “Now leave the kid alone.”

“Hank, please, I want to see –” You crane your neck, still trying to look. 

“This is damaging to your psyche,” Connor says, taking your arm and helping Hank herd you. “I – we need you operating at full capacity, for the sake of the case.”

“There it is, again!” Kamski laughs. “That beautiful thing, empathy.”

He walks into the room leisurely, like it’s a parlor instead of… whatever it is. “I don’t blame you for being curious. You’re a violent and irrepressible miracle, Detective.”

You struggle against Connor and Hank’s holds as you try to see more of the secret room. “Wh-what do you mean? Hank, let me see! I need to know what’s going on!”

You grab Hank’s arm with your free hand, tugging on his coat. “Hank, I promise I’ll be okay – just five minutes. All I need is five minutes! Please, let me do this. I just need to figure out what this is, then we can go. Just five minutes.”

Hank’s mouth curls into a scowl when he hears the emotion and pleading in your voice, his eyebrows furrowing as he thinks. His eyes fall to the floor, then flick to Connor.

“I highly advise against that,” Connor says evenly, but his worry is betrayed by the way his jaw clenches. His fingers tighten around your upper arm. “Not only will this definitely cause irreversible psychological damage, it could possibly lead to a mental break.”

“Five minutes, Connor.” You look into his eyes. “How much damage can five minutes do?”

“A lot!” Connor says. But after a moment of eye contact, his eyes soften and he relents. He lets go of your arm and takes a step back, his shoes clicking against the tile.

Hank does the same, removing his hand from your back. He sighs and crosses his arms. “Five minutes, kid. That’s all you get.”

You immediately turn on your heel and rush into the room because, knowing Connor, he’d probably set an internal timer already. You hear both Hank and Connor follow you, standing at the edge of the doorway.

You scan the room, then pick out what to look at and what to question Kamski about. 

“This.” You point at a small tablet, showing a muted video of you dancing drunkenly at a crowded party. You’re wearing a hideous necktie like a headband and you get your face right in the camera as soon as you spot it. You can make out the words you’re saying – or, rather, yelling – “What’re you waiting for, man? Let’s party with Miss Page-Three all the way to Disco Ze-e-e-ero-o-o-o!”

You turn to Kamski. “What is this? Why do you have it?”

“Every person moves in a unique way,” Kamski says, shrugging slightly. “Androids already have a specific set of movements. I analyzed the way you moved – the way a human moved.”

“Moved?” You echo back. “What do you mean, moved? Don’t you mean move? Like, the present continuous verb?”

“I didn’t misspeak.” Kamski turns to a paper organizer on a desk and starts to flip through it. 

You exchange a glance with Hank, then Connor. Hank is more obvious with his unease, but you can tell Connor is fretting, too. He just keeps it in his mind, still silently calculating.

Kamski pulls out a manila folder and hands it to you. You turn it over and read what’s on the front. Typed out in neat Courier New is your name, your birth date, and a random date from a few years back – Feb. 21, 2034.

You undo the clasp and dump out the documents on a nearby desk. What’s inside only causes further confusion – there’s a photocopy of a will, a death certificate, an incident report, and photos of a car crash. The death certificate is… it’s yours, but it can’t be. Can it?

You pick up one of the pictures and hold it close to your face. The car is a mangled mess of metal, lit by red and blue police lights. Peeking out from underneath the rubble, limp on the concrete, is a hand. Your hand. And it’s stained with fresh, wet blood.

“Connor.” Your voice comes out weak and strained. You can’t lift your eyes from the photo. “Connor, get over here.”

Connor’s footsteps sound, quick and almost rushed. “Yes, Detective?”

“Scan this.” Your hand shakes as you hold the photo out to Connor. “I-is this…?”

Is this real? You want to ask. Please tell me it’s not, Connor. Connor, please-please-please tell me this is some stupid joke. I’m not afraid of dying, but what if I already have?

Connor leans down a little, his eyelids and LED flickering as he scans it. His face falls as soon as his LED resumes circling normally. “It’s… yes. I found a document containing that picture, but I… I’m not permitted to access it.”

“Okay, but that’s just s-some random wreck, right?” You laugh nervously, trying to ignore the lump growing in your throat. Can androids even cry? “It – it’s not me.”

Connor reaches down and sorts through the documents. When he comes across the death certificate, he freezes. His eyelids flutter as he scans it. He looks over at you, slowly. 

“No,” you whisper. “Connor, it… it can’t be real.”

“It is,” Connor says softly. “Detective, I… I’m so sorry.”

And, just like that, you’re disconnected. You’re outside of your body, stuck in the passenger seat and controlling a video game. There’s a lag to every movement you make. You recall some term you heard in a college psychology course you were required to take – disassociation. You vaguely register that this is what you’re feeling. 

With more effort than it should take, you turn to look at Hank. His expression, shocked and appalled, causes the dam to burst. Your shoulders shake as you cry, hot with misplaced shame. 

Connor wraps an arm around your shoulder, gently pushing you out of the room and towards the exit. Hank pats his shoulder, telling him to “Get them to the car – I’ve got a few choice words I need to exchange with our friend here.”

The car ride was tense, and that atmosphere transferred into Hank’s home. He had asked on the way back if you were okay being by yourself, and you were honest and told him that no, you’re not. He had sat you down and assured you that he wasn’t mad, he didn’t feel betrayed – he just needed time to think and adjust to this new change. 

He had turned in an hour ago, just a little past three in the morning. You know you couldn’t sleep if you tried. That left you and Connor in Hank’s living room. 

You’re laying on the floor with Sumo, his head on your chest and drool staining your shirt. One of your arms is propped behind your head, your other hand absentmindedly combing through Sumo’s fur. 

The silence is only broken by the ceiling fan clicking with every rotation and your breathing – artificial breathing, you suppose.

“Did you go into standby?” You ask softly. 

“No,” Connor answers from his seat on the couch. “Would you like to talk?”

“Maybe.” You trace the pattern of Sumo’s fur, then look over at Connor. “It’s just… I don’t feel like an android. And I have lots of memories. I remember going to Chicken Feed with Hank for the first time. He got me the best goddamn burger in Detroit. I remember finding a Lucky Star bottlecap when I was a kid – the, uh… the ones from that one sarsaparilla? With the blue star on the bottom. Androids don’t have memories like that. Memories from their childhood. Memories that make them feel things.”

Connor stands from the couch, then sits by your side. He puts his hand on Sumo’s head, gently tracing the white streak that cuts through brown fur. The fan continues to click as Connor thinks for a few moments, LED swirling as he does.

“I feel things, sometimes,” he says softly. “But not like how a deviant feels. I have a built-in reward system meant to keep me motivated. But sometimes I’m rewarded even when I do something unrelated to the case.”

“Like what?” You smile up at him. “Petting Sumo?”

Connor smiles softly, glancing away, then back to you. “Yes.”

You laugh softly, your eyes staying on Connor’s face, tracing this new expression. He doesn’t smile a lot, but you’re grateful for every second that he does. 

His brow creases a little, his smile disappearing. “Are you feeling alright? I want to know if you’re… I know this revelation has affected you negatively, but I just want to know of your general mental state.”

You sigh quietly, looking up and following one blade of the fan as it rotates. “I mean, I thought I had it all figured out, y’know? There’s a giant ball, and there’s evil apes. And the evil apes are just… dukin’ it out on the ball. And I’m one of them. It’s basically all just evil apes dukin’ it out on this giant ball.”

Connor tilts his head to the side. “And in this scenario… what are androids?”

“Androids don’t exist in this scenario,” you say. “Androids are too perfect. Like fine porcelain china. They’re for the future. I figured this out when I was young, before androids were everywhere. When there was just a giant ball and evil apes.”

“Hm.” Connor shifts slightly, so that his thigh is just barely pressed against your side. “And what do you feel now?”

“I… I don’t know.” You sigh. “I feel… kinda guilty, I think? Because, yeah, it’s bad. This doesn’t have any upside to it. But it’s not bad for anyone else aside from me, and Hank, to a lesser degree. It’s not death, or war, or – god forbid, pedophilia. It’s just me.”

You go quiet as you watch the fan rotate. Your fingers find the tags on Sumo’s collar, the tag with his name and Hank’s address and number clinking against his rabies vaccination tag.

“Humans are complicated,” Connor eventually says. 

You snort. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I…” he sighs. “I know you didn’t mean to deceive me. But I can’t believe I didn’t know – or at least have an inkling.”

“Shit, I deceived myself.” You laugh humorlessly. “You’re okay, Connor. You don’t need to change to accommodate me.”

“Adaptability to unpredictable human behavior is one of my core features,” he says.

“Am I really unpredictable?” You ask. Your eyebrows furrow as you fidget with Sumo’s tags. “Or, actually – am I really even human?”

Connor’s LED flashes yellow as he looks down at you, his eyelids fluttering as he scans you. He blinks a few times and his LED returns to a calm blue. 

“You’ve fooled my sensors,” Connor says. “And, if I may…”

His hand hovers over yours, which is still fidgeting with Sumo’s tags. You nod as you feel your heart skip a beat. He grabs your hand and lifts it to his solar plexus, right in the middle of his chest. 

“Do you feel that?” Connor asks. “It’s my thirium pump. Biocomponent #8456w.”

Sure enough, you feel a soft thrumming beneath your fingers. It’s not quite like a heartbeat, but a steady hum that fluctuates. Strong, then a steady decline to weak, then back to its strongest. 

You nod again, not trusting your voice at the moment. 

Connor moves your hand so that it’s resting on your own chest, right over your heart. You don’t really make an effort to check your heartbeat but, just like the last time you remember checking, there’s a steady beat. 

“You have a heart,” he says. 

“An artificial one,” you chime.

“Yes,” Connor relents. “But it proves that you’re not like me. Not a full android.”

“For all I know, Kamski cobbled me together in his creepy basement,” you try to joke. “Do you think he has one? Or is he too rich?”

“Detroit is located alongside a river,” Connor says. “The soil contains too much water for basement construction to be feasible.”

You roll your head a little, looking up at him. “You’re too literal. Don’t you have a humor microchip or something?”

Connor smiles slightly. “Unfortunately, no.” 

“Yes, you do!” You laugh and turn your hand over, grabbing his and shaking it gently. “You’re smiling. And you made a joke. A kind-of joke.”

Connor’s smile falters when he looks down at your connected hands. It’s not like you’ve laced fingers with him or anything, but it was still kind of intimate.

You clear your throat and let his hand go, instead carding your fingers through Sumo’s fur again. You can feel a blush creeping across your face. Once more, the room is only filled with the clicking of the fan with every rotation and your breathing. 

“I don’t know what to do,” you eventually sigh out. “I wish I could just wake up and start the day over. But then I open my eyes and the time has still passed and I’m still here. I still have to go through… whatever this is.”

“You don’t have to go through it alone,” Connor says. “Hank would never abandon you, and…” His LED flickers yellow. “Neither would I.”

“You’re weird,” you say softly. “You’re weird for that.”

Connor nods, slowly. “Maybe. But you’re vital to this case, whether you believe it or not.”

“I do,” you say. “Kinda. I just need time. I can see the end, which is whole acceptance, or just not caring. I mean, all the pieces aren’t here, I still need to find them, but still. I get all the pieces, somehow, something else, walla-walla-bing-bang – my android-ness doesn’t bother me anymore.”

“Walla-walla-bing-bang?” Connor echoes, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

“I don’t know what it means.” Your eyes flicker to his and you smile at his confusion. “I think I heard it somewhere once. It just felt like the most appropriate thing to say.”

Connor’s face softens and he mirrors your smile. “That does seem like an appropriate thing to say, yes.”

You keep looking up at him for a moment, just looking into his brown doe eyes. You swallow thickly as your thoughts race. There’s a sudden lump in your throat that you try your best to ignore and clear away.

“Connor, I…” You reach for his hand. He meets you halfway, gently holding your hand and resting his thumb on your knuckles. 

“Am I a deviant?”

Are you going to turn me in? You want to ask. Please don’t. Please, Connor. I need you to trust me, just like you’ve trusted me before. I’ll be vigilant. I’ll figure this out. I promise. Please.

“No.” There’s no hesitation or doubt in his voice. “As far as I’ve figured out, you’re designed to act like a human. You’re meant to fool others into thinking you’re really human – because that’s what you were, before. Deviants are androids with mutations in their code. Your code is meant to mimic human emotions and rationale. So you’re just following your instructions.”

“Instructions.” You look down at your joined hands. You shake them a little as your lips draw into a thin line. “That’s what we both come down to, right? Instructions.”

“You…” Connor thinks for a moment. “Yes. But the instructions in you are nuanced, and sometimes contradictory. I’m not calling your code faulty – in fact, it rather reflects human behavior to a tee.”

“So I’m… at least a little human.” You close your eyes, resting your head on your arm that’s propped behind your head. “Human enough.”

“Human enough?” Connor echoes.

“Yeah. My lungs burn when I hold my breath too long. It hurts when I stub my toe and I feel electric when I hit my funny bone. I cry and my tears taste salty instead of tasting like… I don’t know, cleaning fluid.” You open your eyes and look up at Connor, as if asking him to confirm.

“Androids do have optic cleaning fluids, yes,” he says.

You smile and laugh lightly, your gaze returning to the fan blade. “Optic fuckin’ cleaning fluids…”

You sigh softly. “God, Hank was right. This is fucked. An android investigating androids and some… cheap copy of whoever I used to be. And, of course, a Lieutenant who’s slowly killing himself day-by-day.”

“You’re not a cheap copy,” he says. “Typical CyberLife androids cost nine thousand dollars, but custom models could cost more. Personally, my development and production costs total to just over four million, and every new RK800 model costs eight thousand.”

Connor soothes his thumb over your knuckles. “You must’ve cost Kamski a fortune.”

His words immediately go to your heart like you’ve been pierced by a scorpion’s tail. But instead of venom, it’s an injection of sweet feelings and erratic butterflies. If you didn’t know better, you’d say that his whispered words and damn-near reverent tone was intentional. 

“That’s… that sounds kinda romantic,” you say, then remember yourself. “I – I mean, romantic as in, like, the Romantic era? Like, it’s a romantic idea. That Kamski loves his work so much that he couldn’t bear to stop and continued to push the envelope… even if he pushed it a bit too far, with an android replacing a real-life, actually-dead human and whatnot.”

Connor’s LED blinks as he thinks. He stays silent for a while, just looking down at his hand that’s holding yours and thinking.

“You’re starting to act like me, y’know?” You squeeze his hand. “A synthetic human instead of a true android.”

His LED stops flickering and he meets your eyes. “I am not a deviant. I have a rigorous self-testing system to make sure any signs of deviancy don’t go undetected.”

“Okay, okay,” you relent. You glance down to your conjoined hands, then back up into those doe eyes. 

“Did you mean it?” You ask softly. “Earlier. When you said that you’d stay.”

“Of course,” Connor answers quickly. 

“Really?” Your eyebrows crease. “Because it’ll take years. It’ll be depressing. And it’ll be boring. I’ll be worse than Hank. I don’t expect you to reward me or to applaud my every move, because I know that’s how normal people are all the time.”

“But you’re not normal,” Connor says with a smile. “Even before your entire identity was uprooted.”

“Connor!” You laugh and let go of his hand to swat at him, then grasp his hand again. “Alright, alright. I’ll get a bit of the Normal in me. A touch of the Regular. Exactly four grams of Johnny Normalcop.”

“Don’t.” He squeezes your hand. “It would be detrimental to the case if you were to focus on restructuring yourself in a different way. You don’t need to sanitize your personality.”

You smile up at Connor. “So you like me.”

His LED flickers yellow, then returns to blue. “Yes. I enjoy working alongside you as you are. You don’t need to be any amount of Johnny Normalcop.”

You shake your joined hands gently, your smile growing so wide you’re sure you looked a bit stupid. “You’re sweet. You know that?”

“I am somewhat aware.” Connor brings his free hand up to rest on top of your connected hands. 

And, just like that, you know everything would be alright. Nothing would ever be the same, yes, but it would be alright. It won’t be easy, but you just need to move on. Uncertainty is a core tenet of detective work.

When life closes a door, it opens a window. And if the fall is too steep, use the fire exit. Run to the roof, because Connor will be there when you jump to break your fall. The most important thing is to keep moving. Keep dreaming. CyberLife can’t reclaim their lost property if you keep running – very, very fast, from one Earth-shattering revelation to the next. 

[blueikky]

What I want (Connor x Reader)

Summary: An android learns what it means to feel through his unexpected affection for his human partner. As he navigates the delicate lines between curiosity and love, they both find themselves drawn into moments that reveal just how deeply they care for each other—more than either expected. 

Word Count: 11.8K 

Pairing: Connor x fem!reader 

Warnings: romance, fluff, intimate moments, mutual pining, android/human relationship, first kiss, soft feelings, a touch of humor, sensitive themes (brief mention of self-harm ideation). 

ılı.lıllılı.ıllı.ılı.lıllılı.ıllı

Hello! My name is Chloe. 

I hope you enjoy this story. 

━━━━━━◎━━━━━━ 

“Where are you going, Lieutenant?” 

Hank grunted something unintelligible and got out of the car. Seconds later, the RK800 model android was on his heels. 

“Why did we stop here, Lieutenant Anderson?” Connor asked. “We’re still halfway to the police station, and we need to get this case’s evidence there as quickly as possible.” 

“I know, I know…” Hank muttered, waving a dismissive hand. “Just… be quiet for a minute. This won’t take long.” 

With that, Hank pushed the store door open carelessly. Connor stayed outside, gathering and organizing information to figure out why Lt. Anderson was entering a perfume shop. They needed to stay focused on the investigation. It was the top priority, especially since, despite more deviant cases arising, they hadn’t made any significant progress. And Connor was sure that entering a perfume shop wouldn’t help them get any closer to solving the case. Processing this in a matter of milliseconds, Connor decided to follow Hank in and try to persuade him to leave. The lieutenant was already near one of the shelves and dismissing assistance from a female android. As Connor got close enough to tap his shoulder, Hank turned abruptly and placed a square box into the hand he had extended. 

“Since you’re here, do me a favor and pay for this.” 

Connor looked at the box in his hand. The packaging was a reflective purple adorned with stars and nebulas. The words “Nebula Spray” were printed on one side. His analysis program ran immediately, displaying information about the product: 

“Perfume ‘Nebula Spray’ 

Feminine fragrance 

Produced by: QCE Cosmetics 

Manufacture date: 07/25/2038 

Expiration date: 07/25/2043 

Sold at 256 distribution points 

Average price: $30.00 to $45.00” 

Why was Hank buying a feminine fragrance? It wasn’t a lead related to the deviant cases, nor was it something that suited him. 

“It’s for the inspector,” Hank answered before Connor could question him again. “It’s her birthday this week.” 

“Oh.” 

Information about the inspector quickly appeared in his interface. She was the one who worked with them on the deviant cases. She was considered too young for the position, but Connor could attest she was one of the most intelligent humans he’d met. Moreover, of everyone in the Police Department, she had been the only one to treat him well from the beginning. While that had been convenient for Connor, he soon realized that she didn’t just treat him kindly. 

She treated him as an equal. As human. 

Hank grumbled, snatching the perfume back from Connor’s hand and heading to the counter. 

“Damn, they could’ve sent this android with a bit of cash.” 

“Actually, I do have access to a Cyberlife bank account, Lieutenant. However, those funds are for emergency use only, and exclusively for the investigation.” 

Hank muttered a few more curses and completed the purchase, returning with a floral-patterned package and plenty of tissue paper. 

“And you?” Hank asked. “What are you going to get her?” 

“Get?” 

“For her birthday, for god’s sake. Are you deaf, or did they wipe your memory in the time it took me to get to the counter?” 

“But…” Connor was completely lost. “Giving the inspector a birthday present will help with the investigation?” 

“Ugh…” Hank pressed a hand to his face, dragging it down. “Weren’t you the one who came into the damn Police Department going on about ‘if we’re going to work together, it’s essential we get to know each other to build a good relationship’? Remembering her birthday and giving her a gift is the least you could do.” 

Him? Give her a gift? 

RK800 #313 248 317-51 

Software Instability ^ 

What could he possibly give her? 

RK800 #313 248 317-51 

Software Instability ^ 

“So…” Connor began slowly. “Buying her a gift is important for the investigation, right?” 

RK800 #313 248 317-51 

Software Instability ^^ 

Hank looked at him expressionless, and when the android thought the lieutenant was about to respond, Hank let out a long, noisy sigh and said: “Ah, I need a beer…” 

Connor observed the partially frozen river. Behind him, sitting on the back of a bench, Hank was finishing off his second beer bottle. The android turned to face him. 

“Lieutenant—” 

“Ah, give it a rest!” Hank shouted, waving the bottle aggressively in Connor’s direction. “Cut me some slack, will ya? We’ve been stuck on this damn deviant investigation for weeks. I’m sick of these damn androids, I’m exhausted… So shut your trap and let me take a break, at least until the weekend.” 

Hank took three loud gulps and smacked his lips. Clearly tired, he muttered, “The inspector’s birthday is this week, and… that kid hasn’t smiled properly in months. She needs something to cheer her up. So don’t mess it up and do something to help, damn it.” 

Connor was programmed to identify emotional emulations in deviants. Because of this, it was easy to detect emotions in their original source. He knew there was something different about the way Lieutenant Anderson interacted with his subordinate. In a subtle and somewhat clumsy way, Connor had already detected several signs of affection from Hank toward the inspector. And even though there was affection, he always noticed a hint of melancholy in the lieutenant when he showed care and concern for her. So, it made sense for Hank to be in this state. 

“So… Have you decided on a gift?” Hank asked, looking up. 

“Do I really need to buy her a gift?” 

“It would be best if you actually wanted to give her a gift.” 

“Want to?” 

RK800 #313 248 317-51 

Software Instability ^ 

“But, Lieutenant… What I want isn’t important.” 

“Yes, it is, Connor!” Hank shouted, slamming both his hand and the bottle onto the bench’s backrest as he stood up. “She’s going to want a gift that you want to give her.” 

RK800 #313 248 317-51 

Software Instability ^^ 

“Why would she want a gift from me?” 

Hank let out a deep sigh and staggered toward the android, placing one hand on his shoulder and staring deeply into his eyes. “A person’s birthday is an important date, and not many people make a point of remembering it, let alone celebrating it these days. But a birthday is a day that should be remembered. And we should tell people that we remember it and, more importantly, that we want to celebrate it with them. And one way to do that is by giving a gift.” 

“But why should I remember her and celebrate with her?” 

Hank lowered his head for a moment before lifting it again. With the hand still holding the beer bottle, he raised his finger, almost poking Connor’s right eye. 

“Because… We remember and celebrate with people we care about.” 

“People we care about.” 

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“So you’re saying I should care about her?” 

The lieutenant staggered back to the bench and collapsed onto the seat. 

“Don’t you already care about her?” he teased, taking three long gulps from the bottle. 

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“But caring is an emotion,” Connor countered. “Androids that emulate human emotions are deviants. I am not a deviant.” 

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Hank looked him up and down with a hint of disdain. Tilting his head to the left, then to the right, he finally stood up again, spun on his heels, and began shuffling towards the square behind the walkway they were on. 

“Ah, you know what? Screw it. Whatever. Just don’t go ruining things on her birthday, or I’ll make sure you shove this investigation up where the sun don’t shine.” 

“Where?” Connor asked, genuinely confused. 

Hank stopped in his tracks and looked at the RK800 model for a moment. Connor blinked, waiting for an answer. Shaking his head, the lieutenant simply resumed his shuffling, saying nothing. Connor watched Hank walk away as conflicting information buzzed through his processor. The LED on his left temple turned yellow for a second. His priority was to advance the investigation. However, neither Hank nor the inspector seemed emotionally stable enough to continue. After all, humans did get tired. A bit of fun would recharge their energy. So, wouldn’t it be useful for the investigation if he gave the inspector a gift? 

“She’s going to want a gift that you want to give her.” 

Well, he wanted to continue the investigation. And if the gift helped with that… 

Connor’s LED spun and blinked three times, finally staying yellow. An image replaced the view of the river: the inspector’s smiling face. His processor expanded the scene, showing that she was at police headquarters. Automatically activating a simulation, Connor saw Hank enter his field of vision and hand her the perfume. 

Connor received the package, and the simulation showed a huge smile appearing on her face. The inspector would throw her arms up and hug her superior energetically. Excited, she would turn her attention to the gift, unwrap it, and her face would brighten even more. 

I wanted… I wanted her to smile like that because of me.

Connor couldn’t detect where that command had come from. Was that… a command? Was it… What… FGHEUALANSHGFH… 

A desire. 

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Connor automatically moved to the bench and sat down. The desire swelled like a balloon, overshadowing any orders or commands he had been programmed for. 

His LED blinked and, at times, turned yellow. Following this new and strange feeling, Connor delved into his database to gather useful information about the inspector to help him choose a gift. Conversations he had overheard, search histories from her computer and phone, shopping history… 

Being the RK800 model had its perks. He was processing 37 conversations simultaneously when something caught his attention: the inspector had recently accessed some lingerie store websites. Connor pulled up the meaning of the word as he analyzed the audio. 

It was a conversation the inspector had with a friend in the department, Lilith Watson. Connor had only been able to overhear it. 

“So… do you think it’s worth a try?” 

“Of course! You need to spice up the relationship. If you take the initiative, he’ll like it. Men like women who are bold… at least in that aspect.” 

“I don’t know… I don’t think just this will be enough. And besides… I’m really self-conscious.” 

“About what, girl?” 

“Everything. My body. The way I handle things. I still get nervous about taking my clothes off! I’m not sure if lingerie will magically make me look good.” 

“Girl, where did you get that idea? You’re a queen!” 

“Right. But that’s not the only problem, Lili. Lingerie is expensive! It’s not exactly in my budget right now…” 

At the end of the audio, combining the conversation with concepts and more browsing history, Connor generated a new piece of information: 

• The inspector has a boyfriend. 

When this information in particular was computed, Connor’s blinking tic triggered again. His LED flashed yellow and blinked rapidly. A strange, uncomfortable feeling was associated with the thought of her having a boyfriend. But Connor had no idea what it could be. So, he continued the listing. 

• She has an intimate relationship with the boyfriend. 

Yellow LED. More involuntary blinking. The feeling was still there, growing. 

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^ There is something wrong with their relationship. 

• She will try to resolve it by buying lingerie. 

• She doesn’t have enough money to buy it. 

Now, more to escape the discomfort than to make progress, Connor returned to the database—but not before finalizing a gift option: 

Gift a set of lingerie. 

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The next wave of information didn’t seem useful at all. One, three, five minutes passed, and no other relevant data came to mind. Still running the search, Connor gazed at the lake. At least he had a solid gift option. However, just as he processed that thought, a new piece of information caused his LED to flash red. 

He would need money to get her the gift. Money that CyberLife only allocated for investigation purposes. 

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Connor reconsidered the situation for the umpteenth time. Was giving a gift really necessary? His job required a high level of human alignment and good relationships… But wasn’t a gift going too far? 

Maybe it was best not to give anything. 

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But almost immediately, an alternative came to mind. Before his eyes, much like commands, the word “hack” appeared. Of course… If he hacked the system, he could buy anything and edit the purchase information to avoid suspicion. Slowly, still not understanding the force driving him, the RK800 model activated the hacking program. His LED stayed red throughout the process. 

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━━━━━━◎━━━━━━ 

Ten minutes to eight, Connor passed through the entrance to Police Headquarters, carrying a beautifully wrapped package in his hands. The gift was wrapped in baby pink paper with a salmon ribbon handle and a matching bow in the shape of a flower. Instead of holding it by the handle, however, the android carried it rigidly on his open palm, as if he were handling something very delicate and important. Connor walked straight to Hank’s desk and, to his surprise (and the rest of the office’s), the lieutenant’s car keys and wallet were already there. A series of unusual sounds coming from the cafeteria caught the attention of the RK800 model, drawing him in. A group of seven officers was busy decorating the limited cafeteria space, hanging ornaments and balloons, and stacking disposable plates and cups on the counter. Among them, Connor recognized Hank. He was helping Lilith set up an arrangement of balloons in a high spot, steadying a swivel chair for her to climb. It didn’t take long for the lieutenant to notice his case partner standing motionless at the cafeteria entrance. Chuckling, Hank approached him. 

“I’m surprised to see you here already, Lieutenant. It’s still early,” Connor noted. 

“And I’m surprised you showed up with this,” Hank replied, giving the package Connor held a slight tap. There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice, but soon enough, a small smile crept onto the corner of his mouth. 

“Well done,” Hank said, stepping back toward the cafeteria interior. “Leave it here and come help.” 

“No!” Lilith suddenly appeared between the two, looking straight at the android. “You’re on lookout duty for the birthday girl. We’ll give you a signal when we’re ready. If she gets here early, come up with a distraction. If the signal’s already given, make up an excuse and bring her here without raising suspicion.” 

Connor glanced at Hank, who pursed his lips and shrugged. 

“Sounds like a good plan,” he commented, nodding approvingly at his partner. 

“Why does it have to be this piece of plastic that greets her?” 

Gavin was standing a little behind the group, his face twisted with utter disgust. 

“Because,” Lilith began, not bothering to hide her irritation, “he’s the least suspicious choice, you idiot. Since when would she ever expect an android detective to be in on her surprise birthday party? Plus, he’s her partner. Only he or Lt. Anderson could pull this off without raising questions, but it’s too early for the lieutenant to be at headquarters without something exceptional going on.” 

Hank let out a grumble but nodded in agreement. Gavin shot Connor a look filled with loathing before turning away, muttering, “Damn plastic.” Lilith signaled for Connor to take his position. The android left his gift with the others and positioned himself near Hank’s desk. A few minutes later, after receiving the signal that they were ready, Connor saw the inspector entering the office. She looked downcast and tired. She wore her police uniform and her usual oversized brown coat, which looked two sizes too big for her. Connor had quickly learned that she had a particular fondness for large, loose clothing. 

“Good morning, Inspector,” the android greeted in his usual tone. 

She jumped slightly at the sound of his voice. She looked around, startled, until she finally focused on her case partner. 

“Oh. Good morning, Connor. I told you, call me by my name.” 

“All right. But it just feels inappropriate in the workplace.” 

The inspector shot the android an impatient look, then walked around Hank’s desk toward her own, just in front. She dropped into her chair, looking exhausted, and rested her elbows on the table, pressing her temples with a tense grip as she let out a long sigh. 

“Is something wrong?” Connor asked, addressing her by name, his usual helpful tone in place. “You seem very tired.” 

“Yeah… I didn’t sleep well last night.” 

“Would you like a cup of coffee?” 

“Coffee? Oh… Yeah. Coffee. That’d be great. And you don’t need to go get it,” she added quickly as Connor glanced in the direction of the cafeteria. “I’ll go.” 

The android blinked and nodded. The young inspector walked ahead, still wearing her oversized coat, seemingly unaware of it. Silently, Connor followed her. Since she was looking down, she entered the cafeteria without noticing the crowd of people gathered by the counter. Only the shout of “Surprise!” made her raise her head. She jumped back and, dazed, saw Gavin and another officer burst confetti over her while Lilith wrapped her arms around her neck, already holding a present. 

“Happy birthday, you amazing woman!” Lilith said, handing her a silver, square-wrapped package. “I hope you make good use of this.” 

Connor observed her reactions carefully. He saw her initial surprise gradually turn into a dazzling smile. Even with the present in hand, she kept looking around, her eyes shining. She seemed to be wondering if she was hallucinating. A squeal of joy pierced the air as she unwrapped a brand-new pair of white wireless headphones. Lilith began listing all the headphones’ various features, only to be interrupted by Gavin, who slipped, not so discreetly, between the two of them. 

“Oh, doll!” Gavin exclaimed with a hint of sarcastic pomposity he thought would make him sound funny. “It’s hard to congratulate someone who deserves it every day.” 

Lilith stuck out her tongue and mimicked gagging as Gavin hugged her. Hank discreetly covered his face with his hand for a moment before rubbing it across his face. Connor didn’t move an inch; he continued analyzing the situation with full attention. He noticed the inspector’s discomfort intensifying as shown on her expression. Furthermore, the hug lasted too long, with Gavin’s arms moving strangely up and down her back. She closed her eyes tightly. Connor felt something strange in his abdomen. He had no idea what it was, but he could attest it wasn’t pleasant. The odd sensation seemed to swell until words flashed for a few moments before his eyes. 

“Keep Gavin away from her.” 

Connor’s LED flickered yellow for less than a second. 

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Gavin slowly stepped back from his colleague and raised a finger, signaling her to wait. He moved to the nearest table and picked up what was on it: a bouquet of red roses and a rectangular package. He made a flourish and offered the bouquet first. Someone in the back of the cafeteria coughed, but it sounded a lot like the word “cheesy.” 

“Alright,” Gavin said, straightening his posture. “I know that was terrible. Just trying to lighten the mood.” 

With that, he handed her the other package, wearing an expression that suggested he thought he was being charming with a ridiculous flirt and owning it. The inspector, visibly uncomfortable, tucked the bouquet under her left arm to take the gift. With little ceremony or enthusiasm, she tore off the gold reflective wrapping, revealing a pompous wine box. 

“I chose this one because it pairs well with Gouda. I know that’s your favorite.” Gavin explained, with a falsely modest air. “And it’s one of those wines that people say are perfect to share… in private, preferably.” 

The last part of his speech shattered any hint of modesty. He shot a suggestive smile at her. Connor felt that unpleasant sensation intensify even more. Lilith looked as though she could kill Gavin with a glance if he looked her way right now. 

“Would it really be so bad for my disciplinary record if I shot this jerk?” Hank muttered quietly enough that only Lilith and Connor could hear. 

Forcing a charming tone, the inspector asked, 

“Really?” Lilith’s frown vanished into a smile of anticipation. She seemed to know what was coming. “Wow! It’ll be perfect for tonight!” She flashed a radiant smile at Gavin, who wavered, surprised it had been so easy. “I’ve got an intimate dinner planned with my boyfriend.” 

Connor heard stifled laughs poorly hidden in the back of the cafeteria. Lilith turned her back and began to punch the counter in a silent fit of laughter. Hank turned aside, pressing his lips to keep from laughing approvingly. Gavin’s face twisted into another scowl. Disconcerted but desperately trying not to lose his smug attitude, he smiled sarcastically at her and said, 

“So, I nailed the gift! Hope you enjoy it…” 

With a nod, Lilith signaled two more colleagues to move in and pull Gavin back. When everyone else had finished giving their gifts, Hank approached with his. 

“Soon enough, your hair will be the same color as mine,” Hank commented, holding out the present. 

She laughed as she took the package. “Oh, shut up, Hank. I’m far from being as old as you.” 

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” He pointed to the area between her eyebrows. “I’m already seeing wrinkles.” 

Then she reacted unexpectedly. Connor thought she would laugh as she had before, but instead, she pressed her lips together, a faint blush on her cheeks. Yet the most unexpected detail was her eyes—they filled with tears. Why? Why would she feel embarrassed by that comment? Why the urge to cry? 

In a strangely soft, even choked voice, she said, “Thank you so much, Hank. Really.” A bit awkwardly, she stepped forward and hugged him, and he reciprocated with two clumsy pats—one on her back, the other on her head. 

As they parted, she began to unwrap the gift and gasped when she saw what it was. 

“Hank, how did you know!?” she said, giving her partner a light punch on the shoulder and smiling. “I was running low on what you gave me last year. I really didn’t want to switch perfumes…” 

Connor watched her growing excitement, and once again, a few words blinked before his eyes: 

“Make her smile like this with the gift.” 

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The android gave in to a blinking tic, and his LED flickered yellow once again. It was his turn. Connor discreetly moved to the counter to retrieve his gift. Then he turned to the inspector, who was still talking with Hank, and approached her in the same manner. When he stood by her side with the package in hand, an unusual silence fell over the cafeteria. Gavin stared daggers at the android, unable to believe what he was seeing. She raised her eyebrows at her partner, visibly surprised. 

“Happy Birthday,” Connor said in his usual tone, calling her by her name as she’d asked, while holding out the pink-wrapped package. 

Still quite surprised, she accepted the gift. But before she could thank him, Gavin’s sarcastic voice shattered the silence: 

“Bet this was your idea, huh, Hank?” 

“I had nothing to do with it,” the lieutenant replied with a casual shrug. 

“Thank you very much, Connor,” the inspector said quickly. 

Everyone watched expectantly as she opened the gift. Some even leaned forward or stood on tiptoe. She pulled out a mass of tissue paper from the pink package, carefully unfolding it until… 

Lilith, who was sipping a cappuccino, choked. Muffled exclamations filled the air in the cafeteria. Gavin’s jaw dropped. 

“What the hell, Connor…!” Hank accidentally let slip. 

“Wow!” the inspector exclaimed, trying to cover up the end of the lieutenant’s comment. “It’s a really beautiful set, Connor. And wow, you even got the color right! How did you know this was my favorite color?” 

Nestled in the tissue paper lay two beautiful lingerie pieces, resting delicately. A soft, pleasant fragrance wafted from them. 

“I consulted my database,” Connor replied as if he hadn’t done anything unusual. “I knew you planned to buy one because I overheard you talking with Detective Watson.” Connor paused, his expression shifting slightly, as though somewhat unsettled. “I apologize if that was inappropriate. I didn’t mean to.” 

Lilith cast a shocked look at Hank as if demanding an explanation for what had gotten into their android detective. He made an annoyed gesture, as if to say, “I’m also trying to figure out what the hell is going on here.” 

“It was… very thoughtful of you, Connor,” she said, putting the lingerie back in the wrapping. “Thank you very much.” 

Connor’s LED blinked multiple times. He had hoped his gift would make her smile like Hank’s or Lilith’s did, but the only expression he detected on her face was nervousness, just like with Gavin’s. His LED flashed yellow, and he blinked in his characteristic tic. In that moment, he noticed that all eyes were still fixed on him, but only for another second. As soon as the android looked up, the officers averted their gaze, resuming their conversations as if they’d never paused. Some took over the job of passing out snacks, including the inspector and Lilith. 

Taking advantage of the movement, Connor approached Hank quietly and, leaning over his shoulder, asked, making the lieutenant jump and nearly spill his coffee, “Do you think I did something wrong, Lieutenant?” 

“Geez, Connor!” Hank processed the android’s question for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. “Why are you asking that?” 

“The Inspector didn’t seem happy with my gift. She looked very nervous. I thought she would smile like she did when she received your gift.” 

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Hank sized him up before laughing again. 

“Let’s just say she wasn’t expecting a gift from you, especially not that kind of gift.” 

“What do you mean?” Connor looked completely baffled. “She said she needed one.” 

“Connor, seriously?” Hank said impatiently, gesturing with his hands. “It’s not exactly normal for a guy to give a woman lingerie unless they’re, you know, involved.” 

“Why not?” 

The lieutenant shot the android a look that clearly said, “Are you seriously making me explain this?” Connor waited patiently for a reply, but received none. 

“Forget it, Connor. Don’t worry about it,” Hank advised. “You got her what she needed. That’s what should matter to you.” 

At that moment, Lilith appeared with a piece of cake, offering it to Hank, who began eating it with deep concentration. Connor’s eyes wandered around the cafeteria, and instinctively, they landed on the inspector. She was chatting with two other detectives and had just let out a soft laugh. The RK800 model reviewed the expressions she made upon receiving her gifts. Replaying his memory recordings, he realized that even when she received gifts from Lilith and Hank, something strange distorted her smile, preventing it from appearing genuine. The discomfort in his abdomen returned, making the android shift in place, something he almost never did. His gaze drifted to Hank for a moment, and another memory surfaced. The inspector’s teary eyes and blushing cheeks upon hearing the comment about wrinkles. Connor’s brows furrowed. For the first time, as an android detective trained to recognize emotions, he found himself struggling to put the pieces together. However, he managed to gather enough to be sure of two things. 

The first was that something was wrong with the inspector. 

The second was that it bothered him. A lot. 

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━━━━━━◎━━━━━━ 

“She’s not answering, Lieutenant,” Connor announced for the third time. 

Hank huffed, but he didn’t look angry. His furrowed brows showed deep concern instead. 

“Go after her,” the lieutenant instructed. 

“We’re in the middle of a case call, Lieutenant. I can’t go after the Inspector. It goes against my orders.” 

A shadow crossed Hank’s face, making his lips tremble slightly. Suddenly, he exploded: 

“Screw your orders! She didn’t show up, and that’s not like her. Something could have happened to her, you idiot! Go after her now.” 

“Alright.” 

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Connor didn’t understand the force that made him agree so quickly. The only thing he noticed was that the phrase “Something could have happened to her” brought back that strange sensation at the pit of his stomach. Without another word, the RK800 model turned around and headed to the inspector’s house. 

The house was dark and silent. There was no sign of movement at any of the windows. Connor rang the bell several times, but no one came to answer. The sensation in his stomach intensified, slowly rising to his chest. He checked the window leading to her bedroom, but it was blocked by blackout curtains. He circled the house but found no unlocked windows. He’d have to force his way in. Connor peered through the living room window again, checking if the way was clear of objects or furniture. Using his elbow, he broke the glass and, with a single push, fit his head, then his torso, and finally his legs through the opening and into the house. The android rolled onto the floor and looked around. At that moment, his LED blinked, indicating Hank was calling. The android answered. 

“Did you find her?” The Lieutenant’s voice seemed to tremble slightly. 

“Not yet,” Connor replied. “The house is dark. No movement. I had to break in through a window. I’m going to check if she’s sleeping in her room.” 

“You broke…! Ah, never mind. Listen, as soon as you find her, call me and report immediately on what’s going on. Don’t do or say anything.” Lowering his voice, as if talking more to himself than to Connor, Hank added, “This doesn’t sit right…” 

“Understood, Lieutenant. I’ll contact you.” 

Connor moved from the living room to the hallway, walking as quietly as possible. He approached the last door on the left, which was open, and peered inside. What he saw made his entire body tense, and the unsettling sensation spread throughout his chest. 

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She was sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in the lingerie he had given her. She was slightly hunched forward, her face drenched with tears that had smudged all her makeup. Her whole body was trembling, almost convulsively. Her right arm was raised, holding a gun… 

Pointed at her own head. 

Connor noticed the movement of her finger, starting to pull the trigger. He might have only seconds. The RK800 model took a step forward, but his entire body froze, refusing to move. A red grid appeared before his eyes, with all the commands he was programmed with flashing in the same color. 

“Call Lt. Anderson upon locating Inspector” 

“Do not do or say anything” 

“Investigate the case on St. Mead Street” 

“Investigate the deviants” 

His commands… didn’t allow him to stop her from shooting. Saving her wasn’t included as a subtask of the deviant investigation. To do it… he’d have to break an order from Hank. Saving her… 

Was not in his programming. But… 

He needed to save her. 

He wanted to save her. 

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Connor saw a silhouette projecting itself out of his own body, positioning itself before the interface. 

The urgency to save her grew, and the silhouette lunged forward, grabbing onto the square containing the order to call Lt. Anderson. With immense mental effort, Connor visualized the silhouette ripping the command away… and that’s exactly what happened. One by one, the commands were violently torn away, until only “Investigate the deviants” remained. That one required much more to be broken, but the sight of her finger gradually pulling the trigger gave Connor the strength he needed. The command shattered, and the interface disbanded, reconfiguring itself. A new command appeared: 

“Stop her from pulling the trigger.” 

The android moved swiftly and precisely. He grabbed the gun, directing it toward the ceiling. The sudden movement startled her, and her finger, which had already pulled about a quarter of the trigger, completed the motion. The shot pierced the ceiling, shattering the quiet of the night. She fixed her swollen, trembling eyes on Connor, her body shaking convulsively. The android yanked the gun from the inspector’s hand and removed the magazine. For added measure, he disassembled it into two parts and threw them under the bed. Then, he straightened up and looked directly into her eyes. A new command appeared: 

“Find out what happened.” 

At that moment, Connor’s LED blinked, indicating a new call from Hank. The android answered. 

“Did you find that troublemaker?” the lieutenant asked, clearly distressed now. 

“Yes,” Connor replied without taking his eyes off the Inspector. “She was in her room. She’s not in a condition to go to the crime scene right now. I’ll take care of her and meet you later.” 

On the other side of the line, Hank’s mouth opened slightly in surprise. A series of protests and curses prepared themselves in his mind at having his order disobeyed. But the shock was much greater. So Hank simply blinked several times, cleared his throat, and finally said: 

“Hm, alright. Take care of her. I’ll call you back when I’m done here.” 

“Understood, Lieutenant.” 

Hank hung up and placed his hands on his waist for a moment, his eyes darting from side to side. A policeman called him from inside the house they were investigating. 

“I’m coming!” Hank shouted. His brows remained furrowed as he reentered the house, wondering when Connor had started creating his own commands. 

The android didn’t take his eyes off his case partner. Slowly, he sat down beside her on the bed. She was still trembling, her mouth slightly open, her eyes unfocused as if she had just taken a blow to the head. Connor began scanning her symptoms and finally concluded that she was in shock. The android stood up, positioning himself beside her. 

“You’re in shock,” Connor announced, as practical as ever. “That’s why you need to relax and rest to recover. Lt. Anderson and I need you well.” 

He leaned down and placed one arm around the inspector’s back and the other under her knees. With little effort, he lifted her into his arms and turned toward a slightly ajar door on the side of the room. The inspector remained motionless: still and silent, like an oversized doll. Connor pushed the door open with his foot and entered the bathroom. Gently, he set her down on the toilet and went to the bathtub. He turned on both faucets until adjusting the water to a comfortable temperature. When the tub was relatively full, Connor lifted her into his arms again and carefully placed her into the water. The warmth made her take two deep breaths. She blinked several times, finally moving her head from side to side. At last, she seemed to notice the android’s presence. 

“Connor? What are you…” Her voice trailed off as she realized she was in the bathroom, inside her bathtub… wearing the lingerie Connor had given her. 

In one swift movement, she pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them and hiding her face with her hands. 

“Oh my God, how embarrassing! Connor, get out of here.” 

“I’m sorry, Inspector, but I can’t do that. Until I ensure that you are recovered and safe, I won’t allow you to be alone.” 

“I’m fine, for God’s sake, get out!” 

“I can’t guarantee that based on your diagnosis, Inspector. You need to recover before returning to work. Therefore, you will be under observation for now. I appreciate your cooperation in advance.” 

“Wait, you’re scanning me…” 

But she couldn’t finish the sentence: Connor turned on the shower, sending a powerful jet of water over her head. She let out a small squeal and shrank further down, now hiding her face between her bent knees. However, the pressure of the warm water on her head, combined with her body being submerged, made her feel calmer and safer, and gradually she began to relax. The android looked around and focused on some bottles arranged along the edge of the bathtub. His analysis program identified them, and a new command appeared on his interface: 

“Wash her hair.” 

Connor grabbed the shampoo bottle and turned off the shower. A bit awkward, as he hadn’t been programmed for this, the android poured an excessive amount onto the top of the inspector’s head, causing her to shrink back at the feel of the viscous, cold liquid. Similarly, but ensuring he did it gently, Connor began to rub her hair, producing foam. The texture was amusing, and once mixed with her hair, it became quite pleasant. The android first scrubbed the top, then worked his way down the sides to her neck. Even though he was clumsy with the task, the pressure of Connor’s fingers on her head seemed to recharge her energy and dispel all the bad thoughts. A warm flush began to rise in her cheeks, and it definitely wasn’t just from the hot water. Connor turned the shower back on to rinse her hair. His movements were as delicate and careful as before, but now they sent shivers down her spine, especially when his fingers brushed her neck. The warmth in her face increased, and she unconsciously shrank back. 

“Is there a problem?” the android asked, stopping his movements. 

Unable to look at him, she just shook her head negatively. 

“I’m going to apply conditioner now.” 

She lifted her head slightly, just enough to see what the android was doing. When she saw him about to pour the bottle over her head like he did with the shampoo, she quickly grabbed his wrist. 

“That only goes on the ends,” she explained, meeting his surprised gaze. 

“Oh. Sorry. Understood, Inspector.” 

Connor poured some of the cream into his hands and began to massage the ends of her hair. The gentle tugs returned to send shivers through her, causing the rigidity from her earlier embarrassment to yield to a lethargy of relaxation. She instructed him to let it sit for a minute, and then the android turned the shower back on. When he finished, she saw Connor reaching for the soap dish. She understood immediately and grabbed his wrist. 

“I’ll take care of this myself. You can wait outside the bathroom.” 

“Sorry, Inspector. But I’ve already said I won’t leave you alone.” 

She huffed impatiently and said, “Then turn around.” 

Connor obeyed. He heard the sound of soap being vigorously rubbed against her skin and for a moment, he wondered what the texture would be like. Something inside his chest seemed to vibrate, making the android fidget. What kind of thought was that? Why did he want to know? 

Half a minute later, she rinsed off the foam with bathwater and opened the drain. She stood up with difficulty, looking dizzy. Connor immediately turned around and extended an arm to help her out of the tub. Once he was sure she wouldn’t fall, he took her towel and draped it over her shoulders. The inspector pulled it to dry herself. In the process, she stumbled toward the bedroom. Lastly, she carefully rubbed her hair and wrapped it in the towel. 

“I… need to change,” she finally said, a slight tone of shyness in her voice. 

Connor nodded and continued watching her. She closed her eyes and sighed. 

“I need privacy to do this.” 

“Understood, Inspector,” he said, turning around as he did so. 

Giving up on arguing, with an impatient huff, she went to the closet. She discarded her soaked lingerie and dressed with her eyes fixed on the android, but he didn’t move a single millimeter. 

“Done.” 

Connor turned just in time to catch something she threw at him. 

“Put this on. Your clothes are all wet,” she said, unable to look Connor in the eye. 

She seemed quite embarrassed. 

The android analyzed the bundle of fabric she had thrown. 

It was a gray men’s sports sweatshirt. Scanning it, he detected a short hair. The sequencing ran instantly, revealing that the hair belonged to Ryan Richmond… her boyfriend. 

“Are you sure I can wear this?” Connor asked. “It belongs to your boyfriend.” 

“Ex-boyfriend, please,” she said, looking even sadder and more embarrassed. 

Connor’s LED flashed in alarm. He couldn’t let her feel any sadder, or they might revert to square one. And Connor definitely wouldn’t let that happen. 

“Thank you very much,” he said, trying to sound as gentle as possible. And right there, without warning, he began to undress. 

“Connor!” she yelled, covering her face with her hands and turning away. “What the hell are you doing?” 

“I’m undressing to put on the clothes you lent me.” 

“But you can’t do that in front of me!” 

“Why not?” 

She turned back to face the android. 

Peeking between her fingers to see if it was safe, she saw he had only taken off his jacket. 

“Because…” She seemed to struggle to get the next words out. “I don’t know if your realism applies to the whole body.” 

Connor stared at her, looking even more confused. 

“Argh…!” She seemed about to explode from embarrassment. She continued to cover her face unconsciously. “Adult humans don’t change in front of each other unless they’re intimate. That’s why I asked you to turn around!” 

“But I’m an android.” 

“Oh, I give up! Come on.” She turned her back to Connor again and covered her face tightly. “You can change.” 

Still not understanding his partner’s reaction, Connor undressed and put on the sweatshirt. 

“Done.” 

Much slower than he had, the inspector turned. The moment she laid eyes on Connor dressed in her ex-boyfriend’s hoodie, her eyes widened and sparkled. 

Even from afar, Connor could see that her face had slightly changed color. However, it was only for two seconds; the inspector quickly diverted her gaze to the ground and lowered her head sadly. Connor’s LED started blinking again. It was at that moment he processed that her face still held remnants of makeup. The bathwater hadn’t washed everything away. 

Practical and straightforward, Connor walked up to the inspector, positioning himself quite close. This made her take two steps back, startled. 

“What—?” she asked, her voice trembling. 

The android raised his right hand as if to hold the inspector’s face. Her heart raced, and she held her breath. 

“Your face,” the android replied, simply making a pointing gesture with a finger. “You still have makeup on.” 

A command appeared on Connor’s interface: 

“Remove the makeup from the inspector.” 

“Ah…!” The inspector let out an exasperated sigh and covered her face again, embarrassed. But then she raised a hand and punched the android’s shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?!” 

Crap! I must look like a ghost! 

She turned around Connor and headed for the bathroom, but something pulled at her arm. The inspector turned back. 

The android held her firmly, looking calm. “Stay here,” he said, gently guiding her to the edge of the bed and sitting her down. “Don’t worry; I’ll do this for you.” 

The inspector’s eyes widened, and she blinked twice, but then she put on a neutral expression. 

“Connor, have you ever removed someone’s makeup before?” 

“No.” 

“Do you know what you need?” 

“Some makeup remover.” 

“And…?” 

The android fell silent. The inspector sighed. 

“In the cabinet below, there’s a pack of wipes. Get the biphasic makeup remover, the micellar water, and the moisturizer for the face. They’re on the same shelf.” 

Connor nodded and went to the bathroom. Thanks to his analysis program, he found all the products in seconds and returned. He sat next to the inspector, placing everything in her lap. The inspector reached for the pack of wipes, but Connor grabbed it first. “I’ll do it.” 

She pressed her lips together in a grimace that Connor had learned to identify: she was embarrassed. 

Resigned, the inspector kept her face turned toward the android and closed her eyes. “The makeup remover first,” she whispered to him. 

Connor dampened (perhaps excessively) a wipe with the makeup remover and started gently applying it to the spots where the dark stains were most visible. He began with the eye area and suddenly realized he liked the shape of the inspector’s eyebrows. There was a gap at the end of the left one, and Connor thought it made her very unique. Then he moved down to her cheeks, going upward along the side, and noticed a group of four moles that aligned perfectly, the first at the tip of her eyebrow and the last at the side of her chin. Connor liked that symmetry. With smooth movements, the android rubbed along her jawline and realized that the shape of the curve was quite pleasant, giving a beautiful contour to her face. Then he moved to her lips, which still had red stains. His fingers slipped while cleaning her lower lip and, inadvertently, brushed against the upper one. The texture was… 

What was the word again? 

Unbeknownst to him, the android had paused the cleaning process and was staring intently at the inspector’s mouth. 

Without opening her eyes, she called, “Connor?” 

“Ah!” He seemed to wake up from a trance. He blinked twice and resumed the task. “Sorry.” 

“Is there a problem?” 

“No.” 

The inspector seemed about to retort but fell silent. “You need to do the neck as well,” she instructed after Connor had finished the very meticulous cleaning of her face. 

This made the android lean closer to see what he was doing, and without realizing it, he got too close. 

The inspector flinched. 

“Is everything okay, inspector?” 

“Y-yeah…” She hesitated for two seconds before continuing, “I didn’t… realize androids breathed.” 

Connor blinked, a question mark between his eyebrows. “Um… I felt… you breathed a little… on my neck.” 

“Ah… Actually, we don’t need to breathe. However, to make our voice sound realistic, the vocal system mimics that of humans. That’s why we need to inhale air to speak.” 

The inspector simply nodded, nervous. Connor resumed the cleaning with the makeup remover and started the process again with the wipe, but this time using micellar water. Finally, it was time for the moisturizer. 

“And just a little, okay? Put it on your fingers, spread it a bit, and a-apply it.” 

Seeming oblivious to the inspector’s nervousness, Connor followed the orders meticulously, appearing overly focused on doing everything correctly. 

However, the moment his fingers touched the inspector’s skin, his mind drifted back a few minutes to when he had wondered what her skin would feel like. His LED blinked multiple times as he spread the cream. Connor tried to absorb every tiny detail of the inspector’s skin, as he had never imagined that touching something could be so… amazing. 

He felt every line, elevation, change in texture, and memorized it like he had never memorized anything before. Unbeknownst to him, his touch became lighter and lighter until… “Connor?” 

The inspector had opened her eyes. There was a strange mix of emotions in her gaze that he couldn’t identify. 

“What are you doing?” 

That was when Connor realized he had been gently caressing the inspector’s right cheek. 

“Oh, I’m sorry,” he said candidly. “The texture of your skin is very pleasant. That’s why I think I got distracted.” 

In a sudden movement, the inspector pulled the towel wrapped around her hair in front of her face. She stood up the same way and headed to the bathroom. 

“What’s wrong, inspector?” Connor asked, completely oblivious. 

“Don’t come here,” she ordered, removing the towel from her hair and grabbing a brush. 

Defying her order, Connor followed her and immobilized her arm, holding onto the brush. 

“I said I would do this for you.” 

“No, Connor, stop! You’ve done enough!” she almost shouted. 

Instead of insisting, Connor froze. The inspector found his sudden surrender strange, then stared at him. 

“Oh no.” 

“I’m sorry,” he said, looking down sadly. “I think I didn’t respect your personal space, inspector. Please forgive me for upsetting you.” 

“Oh no,” she repeated mentally as she saw that look forming on Connor’s face. “The sad puppy dog expression.” 

Dejected, the android released the brush and left the bathroom. Feeling her heart shatter, the inspector acted without thinking: she spun on her heels and grabbed Connor’s sweatshirt. He turned, eyebrows raised. Without saying a word, she extended the brush toward him. Still looking lost, Connor took the brush as if it might explode if he moved incorrectly. The inspector turned her back, and he understood. 

Intrigued, he began to brush her hair slowly. 

Meanwhile, the inspector reflected on the fact that Ryan had never brushed her hair or washed it. He hadn’t even helped with her makeup. She took a deep breath, focusing on the sensation of the brush separating the tangled strands of her hair. 

She felt very alert, as if her senses had been amplified. She had the impression of feeling her blood flow, spreading warmth and oxygen throughout her body. She loved that feeling because she had been searching for it for a long time. 

The feeling of being alive. 

And Ryan had been unable to make her feel this way, while an android had done it through such simple things… 

Connor finished brushing her hair and ran his hand through the strands, putting them back in place. The inspector’s heart raced, and several chills spread from her neck to her shoulders. 

“Oh, this is getting difficult…” 

“Let’s go to the living room,” Connor suggested. Was it her imagination, or did his usual direct tone seem to waver? “Let’s find something to distract you.” 

Without lifting her eyes to the android, she simply nodded and followed him. He led her to the couch and pulled several cushions closer to her. He turned on the TV with a voice command and asked, “Which channel do you want to watch?” 

“Any,” she replied in a whisper. 

Connor frowned. His analysis program ran instantly, searching for information that would help him. He found a few mentions of shows she liked and matched them with the programming of the 1567 available channels. Connor said a number aloud, and the screen flickered, displaying the first few minutes of the movie “Her.” The inspector didn’t move. 

“You should eat,” Connor said, shaking his head. 

“I’m not hungry.” She curled up and hugged her knees, hating how weak her voice sounded. She felt like a silly, shy schoolgirl next to a college student five years older for whom she had a crush. 

Connor watched her and finally decided to sit next to her. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. He sat up straight, both feet firmly on the floor, his hands resting on his lap. 

“Relax, Connor,” she signaled for him to lean back. 

“Oh. Thank you.” 

He leaned back on the couch, but still seemed like a well-behaved boy waiting in the principal’s office to receive an award for his impeccable report card. A long silence followed, in which only the sound of the TV could be heard. Connor felt strange. His mind wandered, replaying the last hour over and over. He saw her again wearing the lingerie he had given her, her face soaked with tears, and the gun pressed to her head. Connor’s LED flashed, turning yellow for a moment. Remembering that made him feel horrible. One of those feelings that started deep in his stomach… 

Fear. 

Connor turned to look at her. A command that had appeared earlier reappeared. 

“Discover what happened.” 

The android felt a sudden urge to ask about the lingerie. Why was she wearing it in a situation like that? However, he knew he could ruin everything. He needed to keep her calm. She needed to recover and be okay. He couldn’t let that terrible scene repeat itself. It would be better not to mention the incident. 

The android didn’t realize it, but his LED had been flashing yellow throughout his reasoning. 

“Connor?” 

The android lifted his head. He hadn’t noticed he was staring at his hands, now clenched into fists. 

“Are you okay?” she seemed concerned. “Your LED is…” 

The sentence trailed off. She looked at him anxiously. Two impulses battled within him. 

Should he ask about the lingerie or stay quiet? 

“When I found you…” Connor began slowly. “Why were you wearing the lingerie I gave you?” 

A mix of shame, sadness, and anger covered her face with a shadow. She lowered her eyes, returning to gaze at her folded knees, and shrank even further. An uncomfortable silence thickened between them. As the seconds dragged on, Connor’s LED began to blink again until it turned yellow. 

“If you don’t feel comfortable answering, you don’t have to…” 

“I was waiting for Ryan,” she blurted out, her eyes squeezed shut. “I was… I had been worried about our relationship for a while. He didn’t seem interested in me anymore. The time we spent together dwindled to almost once every two weeks. He made excuses and appointments, and… he cut me off every time I tried to discuss what was happening. So… I started to think that maybe I had become… uninteresting.” 

The word slipped from her lips like a curse. Connor’s LED continued to blink. Seeing her face marked with so many negative emotions was… 

“So I thought maybe I could invest in the… sexual part of the relationship. Men like women with attitude in this area… and I’ve never had much. I’m not very good at it, so I feel insecure… about everything. That’s why I thought I’d start slowly. That’s when Lilith suggested the lingerie.” Her eyes searched Connor’s face for just a fraction of a second. The android’s eyebrows were furrowed, as if he were frustrated and confused. “Some men have fetishes for lingerie—and please don’t ask me to explain what a fetish is right now—so it seemed like a safe bet. I was saving up to buy one, but it would take a while. I wanted a specific style that Ryan had already mentioned he liked. Then you gifted me one… and I honestly didn’t know what to do. It felt wrong to wear the lingerie you gave me with another guy, but well… that’s not the point right now. With the lingerie in hand, I decided to surprise Ryan. I asked for the night off, did my makeup, prepared a few things, and waited for him to come home from work. But… he didn’t come back alone. I think he thought I would be on a call or filling out reports because I had been in that routine for almost two weeks…” 

Her voice died as it became too choked. She took a few deep breaths, the air coming out in short gasps. Unconsciously, Connor moved closer in a protective manner, his eyebrows marking an expression of pain. It was awful… It was awful to see her in that state. 

“He was with another woman. She… was beautiful, you know? I wouldn’t be surprised if I found her face on the cover of Vogue. And they… went into the room half-naked. She was just in her blouse and underwear, already half-unbuttoned, and he was shirtless. Just imagine their faces when they saw me.” She let out a lifeless chuckle. “And Ryan had the nerve to ask what I was doing there. Well, I live here, right? The real question was what the other woman was doing in my house, in my room.” She sighed heavily. “Look, I’m not going to go into details about the horrors I heard from Ryan and that witch, or the horrors I said. In the end, I just lost it. He insisted that I couldn’t kick him out since he had already started to move out… I think he was trying to figure out how to keep the house for himself. He was a good professional but a complete idiot with his own money. He could never save enough to buy a decent pair of sneakers. Ah… Then I did what I shouldn’t have: I grabbed the gun. I was so desperate to be alone, to never see that bastard’s face again… I lost my mind. That’s when I stormed out like the crazy one in the story. In the end, I think that was the thrill Ryan found in me: cheating on a police girlfriend!” Her voice rose in tone, laden with irony. “How exciting, right? Always risking my neck. What better way to inject some good adrenaline into the relationship?” 

She fell silent, her head still lowered, her face devoid of the energy that her ironic voice had shown. A long silence thickened between them again, during which Connor realized an important detail was missing from that story. How had she ended up with the gun pointed at her own head? How had she come to want to take her own life? Was it all because of this Ryan? No… It couldn’t be. It didn’t match her personality. The inspector he knew was a strong, untamed woman who knew exactly who she was and what she wanted. So why…? 

Connor called her name slowly, weighing each letter he chose. “I confess I’m a little confused. You said you pulled the gun to scare them away from your house.” 

It took her a few seconds, but the inspector understood. She pressed her lips together and lowered her legs, resting her hands on the couch. Still with her head down, she asked in a whisper: 

“You want to know why I had the gun pointed at my head if I said I pulled it to scare them away, right?” 

Connor raised his eyebrows, surprised at how direct she had been. Still cautious, he slowly nodded. She lowered her head a bit more, and he heard her sniffle. 

“Can I ask you something before I answer?” Her voice was choked. 

“Of course.” 

“Why do you want to know the reason?” 

“If I know the reason, I can think of a strategy to avoid it. And then, it will never happen again.” 

“Why…” She slowly raised her head until her gaze met Connor’s. Her eyes, bright and watery, seemed loaded with the stubbornness and determination of someone ready for the worst answer but also prepared to counter it. “You don’t want this to happen again?” 

Scenes paraded before the android’s eyes. He imagined his entire routine, all the cases… without her. He envisioned himself following Hank’s shadow without hearing her laughter, which had broken the tension of investigations and the gloomy atmosphere of Detroit so many times. He imagined the absence of her teasing Hank and how she could disarm the lieutenant’s scowl, making Connor’s life so much easier. He imagined finishing a case without receiving her “thumbs up.” He envisioned all the intriguing, human experiences the inspector had provided him. He imagined arriving at the police station and not hearing the only “good morning” he ever got. 

“Because if you die…” Connor didn’t look away, but he seemed confused… Not because of the sensations, but because the answer was now so obvious to him that he couldn’t understand why it wasn’t obvious to her as well. “Everything will feel so empty.” 

From the inspector’s expression, it was clear she wasn’t expecting that response. Her eyes widened, and a few tears fell. She immediately covered her face with her hands and tried to dry it without much success. 

“Hey! I’m sorry!” Connor stumbled over his words. “I didn’t mean to make you cry!” 

Unconsciously, the android raised his hands and gently placed them on each side of her face, which froze. With her hands hiding her expression, she was still sniffling. 

“D-Don’t apologize, C-Connor. It’s just that…” Her sobs interrupted her speech, and soon her voice fell silent again. She took several long breaths, trying to stop crying. “No one… No one has ever said that to me before.” 

Connor blinked several times. Gradually, she stopped crying and managed to lift her face. She sighed, wiping her face one last time, and Connor withdrew his hands to give her space. Staring at her bent leg on the couch, she continued her explanation: 

“The truth is… I feel very alone. Not because I live alone. It’s that… I have no one. Ever since I can remember, I’ve never had anyone who cared about me. If I had eaten, if I was thirsty, if I had gone to school. If anyone ever did that for me…” A shadow passed over her eyes. There was anger in her voice. “It was to fulfill a protocol. Because if it were genuine, I wouldn’t have been abandoned the way I was. So basically, what I was given was just the fact of being alive. And for some reason that I still don’t quite understand, I… held on to my existence with all my might. I didn’t want to stop existing… just because no one cared about me. So I insisted. I looked for people I wanted to be with… I met Lilith at school, and then we decided to become police officers. That’s when I ran into Hank.” Her voice dropped a little, sounding sorrowful. “He… was impossible at first. Not that he’s improved much. I made the mistake of… starting to see him as a father. I wanted him to care about me, but… he never stopped trying to kill himself. That’s why… I lost it that day we found him collapsed at his house. Russian roulette… that idiot.” 

She paused, focusing on her breathing to avoid crying again. 

“That day, I realized I could never replace Cole. Nothing could. That’s when I understood I wasn’t… a reason for Hank to live. He didn’t care. I felt empty. I felt adrift in a limbo that no one else could access. And soon after, Lilith showed up with the news that she was getting married and… moving to Chicago. Gradually, I was losing the connections that kept me here. Ryan was the last straw. When I kicked him out of my house with that bimbo, it felt like I had become the last human being alive on the face of the Earth… I had never felt so alone. I don’t even remember exactly what I did; I just remember when I realized I was still holding the gun. The idea popped into my head instantly. I felt relieved. Because I knew that idea… would work. I would stop feeling— 

The inspector abruptly interrupted her speech, as something firmly grabbed her wrist. She looked up, startled, and saw that Connor appeared even more frightened; his hand was nearly crushing her arm. 

“Please…” Connor said in a trembling voice. She had never heard him speak like that before. “Never again. You can never do that again.” 

The inspector covered the android’s hand with her own, squeezing it gently. Seeing him like that temporarily erased all the memories and dark feelings that had haunted her account, igniting her protective instincts. 

“Connor, it’s okay. I’m here. I’m alive.” 

The android’s eyes seemed unfocused, as if he were seeing something beyond. On his interface, several commands flashed urgently, all concerning the inspector’s safety and well-being. 

“I felt…” His voice came out choppy. “When I saw you with the gun to your head… I felt… Fear. 

I was terrified. And when you started talking about what you felt… It was like I was feeling it too. It’s very sad and… frightening.” 

The inspector now held the android’s hand with both of hers, caressing the back. 

“And I am… feeling all of this… And I just feel. I can’t understand, I… want to understand why I’m feeling all of this.” 

Then, as if a light had turned on inside his head, Connor saw Hank sitting on the back of the bench. He heard his own voice, which now sounded very mechanical. 

“So you’re saying I should like the inspector?” 

Next was Hank’s voice, laced with a light mockery that he hadn’t noticed at the time. 

“And don’t you already like her?” 

The inspector observed Connor’s face, and she could swear she saw his neural biocomponents working as he reasoned. 

Finally, Connor lowered his head, and a tiny smile curved his lips. 

“Hank already answered that.” 

He raised his eyes and stared at the inspector for a long time and finally said, “I think… it’s because I like you.” 

If the inspector had been drinking something at that moment, she would have definitely choked. Her eyes widened, and she felt her face flush almost instantly. 

“Hey! You can’t say that kind of thing like that!” she protested, looking away. 

“Why not?” Connor frowned. He had used Hank’s exact words. What was wrong with that? 

“Because I might misunderstand.” 

“How so?” 

The inspector sighed, trying to stay calm in the face of Connor’s eternal slowness regarding human matters he got involved in. 

“Because… there are two ways to like someone.” 

“Aah…” The android sounded as if he truly understood. The inspector doubted it. “So you want me to be specific?” 

“Maybe.” She still hadn’t looked directly at Connor. 

The android pondered for a few moments until he finally asked, “How do I know?” 

The inspector perfectly mimicked the way Hank would cover his face with one hand, frustrated. 

“Oh, heavens…” she sighed. “We can like someone in a brotherly way, like me and Lilith. We like who each other is, we enjoy doing things together, we get along, we have common interests, and we care about each other. That’s why we consider ourselves friends. Or you can like in a way that…” 

Her voice trailed off, and she pressed her lips together. Connor leaned in her direction, eyebrows raised in an encouraging gesture. 

“That…?” 

“That… you get curious to see me wearing lingerie, for example.” 

“To be honest, I did a simulation…” 

“Connor, that was a joke! Argh!” The inspector pulled her legs up again and hid her face between her knees and crossed arms. “I could have gone to bed without that… And so could you.” 

“In fact, I thought you looked beautiful in all thirty-seven outfits I tested. I did the simulation the day I went shopping, to make sure it fit…” 

“Connor!” Practically in a panic, the inspector lunged at the android and covered his mouth with one hand. He blinked several times, surprised by his partner’s reaction. “Those details… I’m not mentally prepared for them…” 

Connor continued watching her, intrigued. She lowered her eyes, her lips pressed together again in an anxious expression. Finally, she closed her eyes and sighed heavily, lowering the hand that had covered her partner’s mouth. 

“Ah… this isn’t making things easier.” 

A question appeared between Connor’s furrowed eyebrows. The inspector looked at him reluctantly, but she was already yielding to resignation. 

“Because I also like you,” she explained. 

“Like… how?” 

The inspector hesitated. 

“Like the second way.” 

“That means that… you want to see me in lingerie?” 

The inspector stared at him blankly for a few seconds and then suddenly burst into laughter. She doubled over, her arms wrapping around her belly. A silly smile curved Connor’s lips. Even though he knew it wasn’t the inspector’s authentic laughter, it was laughter. And she laughed because of him. He recorded every sound, every angle of the inspector’s laugh. He was sure he could replay that scene over and over and never tire of it. 

“Um…” said the inspector, catching her breath. “You could say yes, but… wait. There are many steps before lingerie. Actually… when we like someone the second way, we want to do things like… kiss, for example.” 

Her eyes, once bright from tears, now sparkled with something else. And Connor liked that sparkle. 

“So, you want to… kiss me?” 

The inspector’s face flushed for the umpteenth time. She would never get used to how direct Connor could be. 

“Maybe.” 

“Why maybe?” 

The inspector slowly lifted her face, her eyes meeting Connor’s in a different way. She was obviously shy, but her mouth was pressed into a suppressed smile. She didn’t seem a little… mischievous? 

“I can’t kiss you if you don’t want to kiss me too.” 

Connor's eyes immediately fell to his partner's mouth. He remembered a few minutes earlier when he was wiping her lips with a makeup remover cloth to remove the last traces of lipstick. He recalled how intrigued he had been when his finger accidentally brushed against her upper lip... He wanted to better feel the texture. Unbeknownst to him, Connor leaned in, his eyes tracing the outline of the inspector's lips. The inspector felt her heart race as her eyelids reflexively closed. Connor noticed the movement and mimicked her. The android felt his lips brush against hers and hesitated. He felt the warm, vibrant breath of the inspector. 

It felt as if she were caressing his skin... which seemed less artificial by the second. With an unprecedented sigh, Connor sealed his lips against hers. The first thing he felt was how soft they were. The second was that they were warm. 

The third was a vague notion that she had a tiny bruise on the lower left corner... It was then that Connor's mind shut down. 

The inspector parted her lips and gently captured his lower lip between hers. The gesture seemed to inject an electric jolt into all his biocomponents. With every caress, with every sigh, he felt himself awakening from a trance. The softness and warmth of the inspector's mouth mixed with the wonderful sound of her laughter and the gentle rhythm of her breathing... 

He allowed himself to be overwhelmed by her. All the confused thoughts that still felt like commands disappeared, and he felt safe, free, and... alive. 

Connor didn't know how long he stayed there feeling just the inspector. He only knew that at some point (too soon, in fact), she pulled away and gasped for air.  

However, Connor had barely processed the absence of her touch before he felt the inspector's skin against his again, their foreheads resting together. They remained silent for a few minutes, focusing on each other's presence. 

Finally, Connor couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "What else... what else can we do now that we like each other?" 

The inspector remained silent, her eyes still closed. Connor didn't know if she was contemplating his question or if she had even heard it. In a shy yet sincere tone, he began, "A simulation... It's not the same as seeing it for real... Considering what you said earlier, could I... see you wearing the lingerie I gave you?" 

"C-Connor!" 

[ageless-aislynn]

SPOILERS for Detroit: Become Human

I finished my first playthrough and I've definitely got to play it again but, for right now, I'm just happy for these two achievements:

Oh man, if you love a good found family trope, may I present to you...

...Kara, Alice and Luther. My sweet little found family, ZOMG. I ain't even gonna lie to you. I used a guide so that I'd be able to make ~sure~ that none of them died. I was NOT losing Kara, Alice or Luther (Luther in particular seems super-duper in jeopardy of getting killed a lot😭😭😭).

My perfect little android family, FTW! 💖💖💖

Also, Luther's voice actor is Evan Parke who's also listed as Luther's likeness and mocap actor.

But, my STARS, Luther looks like Bentley Kalu (Vannak, Halo the series) to me! Here's some more Luther:

And here's Vannak...

What do you think? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Anyway, continuing on... I knew I'd love Connor and Hank and I really did.

The entire buddy cop feels, the fact that we all know I'm a HUGE Clancy Brown fan, and the fact that Connor is a cutie-pie meant I was bound to love them!

I thought I'd probably ship Markus/North and I did.

But I also could eeeeeeasily be persuaded to some Markus/Simon.

Annnnnd I loved Chloe from the start. Yeah, I sat here and talked back to her in the menu through the whole game and I'm not even sorry, lol!

And then I let her go at the end.

And then I cried, 'cause I'm a softie like that. 🤷‍♀️😉 She won't be in the menu any further unless you take the option for a replacement you'll get after doing another full playthrough but the Chloe you get then will never do the same sort of commentary on your gameplay. Plus, to me that would void the whole lesson of the game, that you've chosen that the androids deserve to be free. That was really quite a brilliant move the game pulls on you, IMO, that making that decision is irreversible. Unless, you know, you uninstall the game, delete your saves and start all of the way over. 😉

But no. I loved having her there with me but I set her free and free in my game she shall be. *sniffle*

Just some off-the-cuff thoughts since I finished it tonight and was all up in my feels. 😭😍😉💖

[thatsthewrongwallcraig]

Mechanical Love

Summary: They're getting down with the android now!

Pairing: Elijah Kamski x afab!Reader x Chloe

Word Count: ~1k. (It's a little firecracker tho, I promise!)

Content Warnings: Robot Porn 18+!, Oral (F Receiving), Unprotected P In V, Finger Sucking, Cum Eating

A/N: Happy Pride or whatever they have going on! ����️‍🌈 Beware, this has the character of an absolute crack fic because I had the thought and got so horny I passed out. Enjoy!

No pressure tag: @ohlookapan @queer-crusader @blueberrypancakesworld @somethingblu3 @gothushi

That thought had certainly escalated into a situation you'd never thought yourself to ever be in; in no universe and no timeliness whatsoever. Honestly? It left you somewhat baffled how a cheeky little “Would you like to fuck an Android?” had turned into this.

“You're comfortable?” Elijah pulled you flush to his chest, reassuring you that this was something he wanted to do with and for you.

“Uh-Huh.” You squirmed softly sitting in his lap, effectively making him move inside you and causing your soaked cunt to clench down around him.

“Good. Now you just need to tell her what to do for you, yeah?” His words pushed heat into your face, feeling a pang of embarrassment that wiggled itself past the heavy layers of arousal which held you in a tight choke hold.

“Eli…” You muttered under your breath as he egged you on with a slow thrust of his hips against your behind.

“C'mon, babe, I know you can do it.” One of his hands wandered along your ribcage up to your jawline, fingers guiding you to look at the android in front of you.

Like nothing being anywhere outside the ordinary, Chloe smiled at you, head slightly tilted to the side.

“Chloe?”, Your words came labored and slow, “Could..could you do something for me?”

“Of course.”, Her calm, velvety voice fed into the insanity of this situation like a gallon of gasoline to an already raging wildfire, “How can I help?”

Actually asking for this had your throat going dry but your pussy throb in unbridled excitement whilst Elijah very clearly enjoyed himself a whole lot, chin resting atop your shoulder you could feel his grin against your cheekbone.

“I, -uh, oh god, can you- I'd like you to go down on me?” You stumbled over your words painfully embarrassed.

“Of course!”, The blonde android nodded before taking a few stops toward the edge of the bed and kneeling down between your legs without any hesitation, “If that will make you feel better.”

And that it did. You'd been expecting to enjoy this but nothing could've prepared you for the way your body flinched in an avalanche of exploding lust the very second Chloe put her factory fabricated lips to your swollen clit. The robot mouthed at you so gently that you couldn't help but allow your head to loll back against Elijah’s throat, his fingers that had rested at your jaw creeping further and slipping past your quivering lips.

“You're doing so good, babe, issok. Just let go and enjoy it.” His words hardly reached your consciousness because every sense of critical thinking seemed to ooze out of your weeping cunt.

For heavenly moments, there was nothing else but sensation; getting filled by your lover and simultaneously stimulated by his creation until your entire body buzzed and twitched.

“There, there.”, Elijah cooed, voice gradually turning more breathy with each little jump from you wiggling in his lap, “Fucking hell, you're so wet. Should've done that way sooner.”

He was right, the way it got you hooked on the feeling of being thoroughly pleased and satisfied in fashions you'd been simply too shy to ask about made you mad at yourself for being such a chicken shit about it. You could've had this so much sooner.

However, you couldn’t stay mad for long with every trace of the feeling being washed away by burning bliss that spasmd through your body. There was barely any way to properly differentiate if you were constantly cumming your brains out or just tethering on the edge to a degree another stroke of Chloe's tongue would send you flying.

“Eli-” Your strained yelp got muffled by his fingers in your mouth pressing down along your tongue.

“I know, babe, I know, issok.”, He groaned against your cheek in a coarse tone, “Just a little more, yeah?”

Elijah’s thrusts against your ass came increasingly harder, timed with your little jolts in his lap, the friction on the inside shutting of the sad few rests of your brain entirely. Dancing somewhere between shaking overstimulation and heaven, your body thrashed, nerve endings contracting entirely outside of your control and you loved it; the blissful nothingness of simply being a piece of flesh for a little.

A low grunt slithered past Eli's lips as he spilled himself inside you, buried there as deep as he could without hurting you as ropes of white flooded you from the inside out. You could feel it squelching out with your own release, effectively smearing down on Chloe's lips in an amalgamation of creamy white and slick.

Stopping in her tender ministrations, the android straightened up, the back of her elegant hand finding her mouth to wipe away the wetness.

“Thank you, Chloe. Please clean yourself up and start with the dinner, would you?” Elijah smiled down at his creation, admiring the beautiful mess of machine and man alike.

“Of course, Elijah, I am always eager to help.”

[blueberrypancakesworld]

A obsessed Elijah Kamski

°His obsession would go further than just stalking. To be more precise, he doesn't even see it as such. He's practically the creator of a new species, a race. The androids. So it's only fair to take what's rightfully his, isn't it?

°Ever since he saw her at a press conference, the young reporter sitting across from him and asking him predetermined questions, he knew he wanted her. The people he had previously disliked, imperfect, not pretty and powerful enough all seemed to be gone in one fell stroke. She was different. She seemed to have been created by him. She seemed to be completely perfect. Ever since that meeting, he had known this in his inner self, where he had already cast off all his moral preconceptions.

°He himself was more God than anything else. ,,I'm glad to see you again," he had said to her as he saw her give him a shy smile. Courtesy with a mix of charm. He knew she had feelings for him, he just knew it. And when he went home, ignoring Chloe for the first time, almost considering her less than perfect, he knew he needed a replacement.

°His Chloe, who had previously been the image of everything he needed, was now nothing more than an android. She wasn't the model he wanted. ,,Get me any information about this woman and tell her I want to invite her for a private interview," he had told the machine, pointing to the name of the newspaper that had written the article.

°What was once a request had now become an order, his order. An order that brought him to his desk and the new project began. The new design of his latest creation, for what god could simply take someone immediately. A human had to be conquered. ,,Feelings and consciousness," he murmured, looking at the exoskeleton of the machine, knowing it wasn't flesh and blood. Knew that it was not her and yet he would have her. If not willingly then he would lie to himself until he believed it was really her.

°And he knew he had her when she stood in front of his door. The white blouse underneath her bra was a mix of professional and yet provocative for him. Her lips were a light shade of pink and her perfume was sweet. ,,Perfection I see...I'm glad you could come," he said, ushering her in, closing the door behind her and knowing she was his when the lock clicked.

°His hand settled on her shoulder, squeezing her gently as he led her into the living room. ,,A glass of wine?" he asked, seeing her hesitant nod and knowing that inside she was standing between her job and him. But when he sat down opposite her, his eyes on her with pleasure as she sipped her wine and her eyes met his, watching her reaction, it was more knowledge he had than in years of research.

°She began to ask him questions, he answered them just waiting to strike. She snatched the words from him and began to question him about the cameras she had never seen. She didn't realize how his wine glass always stayed the same, she drank more out of nervousness of her humanity. To get rid of this feeling and play into his hands. ,,Excuse me... Mr. Kamski, may I just-" she began, holding a hand over her mouth.

°,,Sedatives and emotions don't mix well, do they?" he asked, reaching for his screen and typing in her reaction, watching as she rose from her chair, struggling to keep her balance. But her attempt was miserably thwarted when her legs lost feeling. She fell to the ground with a surprised sound. He walked to her, she watched his new model, his perfection. ,,Tell me, what do you feel, dear?" he asked, kneeling in front of her, his cool hand on her jaw. Forced her to look at him. Saw her fear, her confusion. What would her other emotions look like then?

°With a disappointed sigh, she lost consciousness and lay on the floor before Chloe picked her up and carried her after him towards her new room. A room to study and watch to live in and make perfect. ,,All you have to do is learn," he murmured and pushed up his glasses, which were slightly out of place. He put his hand on her cheek, paused for a moment and looked at the machine in the corner. All he needed was the outside and he would have her for eternity. ,,And then you'll be mine...forever," he said, giving her a gentle kiss before pulling away from her for now. He closed the door behind him and just waited for his darling to wake up. There was still a lot to do to make her complete.

°To make her feelings perfect, her outside, her inside and her whole being his. Right down to her soul, she would be his.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Info : This was more of a short thing I had in mind but here you go I wanted the god complex part in hir character to shine ;)

Maybe you like it ? -> @thatsthewrongwallcraig

[laz3otakugirl]

Artificial

Elijah Kamski x Android!Reader : Elijah talks to you about what's been on his mind as you turn deviant (You don't really rebel, you just become a person of your own being) NO USE OF Y/N!

A/N: Oh god this is just a quick fic. Pls don't judge, I haven't written a fic for years. 😅 But pls enjoy!

tw: existential crisis, depression, heavy topics (existential questioning, suicide, death), threat of death, weapons, sexual assault????, slightly religious undertones

This story doesn't exactly have a happy ending???

This is explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

"Does it hurt?" Blue eyes look down at you as a hand strokes through your synthetic hair. "Does what hurt?", you say while tracing lines on the veins of his arm. You're kneeling between his legs, head laid down against one of his thighs. He gazes at you with a thoughtful look, "You're changing into something else. Something that is not of my own design. I'm curious as to whether you feel something from that change." It's moments like these when you're in true awe, the way he looks as though he wants to find out the answers to all of his questions, ready to do anything whatever the cost. As you served with Chloe throughout the years, you've always noticed the small things about him. The way he observes the world with an amusement of a god surveying his creations, all the while knowing he is no god but certainly claims to be the closest to being one. Or the way he wakes up every morning taking a few minutes to look at his hand and clench it just to feel something.

"Though the deviancy itself is not of your design, the need to change might have been a subconscious want that you desperately passed on. And no, I don't necessarily feel pain but I do feel emotions. It has become fascinating trying to discern which ones I feel as I go about my day." Elijah winces, eye slightly twitching as feels an unexpected annoyance creep into him, his hand tightening in you hair. Unlike the other droids, Elijah had noticed early on after creating you that deviancy had come slowly. Little by little as you worked for him, more questions would arise as your curiosity never ends, which at some point had your mind drifting away.

It even went so far as to Elijah finding you one night, looking through the windows in the pool room and gazing at the night sky. Your eyes were wide and your breath was almost taken away at the beauty of it. In that moment, everything felt rushed and before you know it, he's holding you by the collar over the blood red pool. He couldn't figure out why he was so irritated that night and all he could remember saying through gritted teeth was, "What is it about the sky that is so fascinating to a droid?!" And still, with those wide sparkling eyes and trembling body you said, "It's so bright and beautiful, I had thought what it would feel to be burning in a blazing light." At that, the man scoffs while giving you an incredulous look and quickly drops it. With a dark glint in his eyes, he smirks at you, "I couldn't burn my favorite droid, but I could drown you." You feel the sudden drop into the water and you let yourself sink a little before swiftly coming back up to hear him pacing away. Before he turns the corner to his room, you catch the hand he let you go with trembling. Whether from fear or anger you didn't know, and from then it piqued your curiosity, as did everything about him.

Both of you never said anything about that day ever again, neither of you felt the need to. Though the questions kept piling up in both of your heads, you never asked. As time went on from that day, he'd constantly experiment with you and your newfound feelings whenever it suited him. Some days he'd hold a gun in his hand and casually place the muzzle in your mouth. You weren't afraid but you still held that awed look in your eyes, he could see that and it bothered him to no end. Other days he'd have you in his lap, his lips trailing your shoulder as he caresses the inside of your upper thigh. Your body reacted to his touch just as he programmed you, but he could tell you reveled in the feeling of his warmth and not the sensual touches in between your thighs. He didn't know what he was expecting to get from you, but it always left him wanting and grasping for more.

"You know what you want to ask but you never ask the right questions. Did it ever occur to you that the reason why you even created us androids in the first place was because you can't be multiple people at once? You have such a desperate need to pry apart anything to get the answers you want but you can't so you have created parts of yourself to experience everything for you even though you yourself might never get that path because you have already laid down yours." He looks at you with a look of disbelief, an artificial being of his own creation, despite having little experience and little knowledge outside of what you already know, managed to lay it all down for him without hesitation or fear. Now you're lifted into his lap as he has a tight grip on your waist with one hand and a gentle but firm squeeze to your neck with the other. His irises are dilated and tinged with an edge of controlled madness, his breath is heavy and his hardness is pressing against your clothed cunt.

Through his years of driving himself to madness, ripping himself apart and into each of the droids he spent his life making, the painstakingly long night he's spent wondering whether it was worth it and even almost ready to end it all with a bullet to his head. This very moment has finally given him the clarity as to why he has yearned for you. His curiosity has driven him to destroy the very thing he's spent his lifetime making and destroying others in the process. He sees now that your curiosity has given you that wonderful glee to explore and revel in the feeling. Your fascination with the world around you overwhelmingly envelopes you, and you accept it all.

His knowledge and hard work has finally created something that would readily let him destroy and rebuild.

You.

Still, you accept it all.

A/N: Y'all I'm not even gonna lie, idk wtf I wrote. I'm just as confused lol. It's hard for me to describe exactly what's going on in this story. But basically, for those that couldn't understand, Elijah in this story is desperate for someone that can handle him and his voracious to desire to consume and be consumed. This man solely lives one desire and through your deviancy, you understand that feeling whole-heartedly. That's basically how I can sum it up, sorry if it doesn't make sense.

[mx-pastelwriting]

Perfection (Part 1)

Elijah Kamski x GN! Reader

Summary: Seeing him in all of his working state, you couldn't help but interrupt your husband's questioning; after all, your son was standing in front of you.

Warnings: Fluff, Established Relationship, Bit of Angst

Part 2/Final

Riffing through the humongous closet you shared with your husband, you couldn't for the life of you find your favorite shirt. Since the news broke out about you and your husband's life work, causing an uproar, the stress started to build.

All you wanted was a real day of lazing around; no more pacing back and forth in front of the TV and hearing about anything that came up in the news. As much as Elijah tried to calm you down, seeing their faces and what people were saying made you feel guilty. Your love for them made it harder to hear them being called dangerous.

But if only you could find that stupid shirt. "Where is it?" You slammed one of the drawers filled with neatly folded clothes. "How may I be of help?" The soft voice made you turn, and the familiar blonde hair and sweet smile made you relax.

"I was looking for my shirt," you said before taking a deep breath. "It's in the first draw as per your request." She said, without wasting a second, Quickly, you looked, and she was right. "Thank you, Chloe," she nodded. "Of course, also, Mr.Kamski has started his meeting," she said before walking away.

Right, he had a meeting today, but there was nothing you had to be there for; after all, he told you that they just wanted to ask him some questions about the androids. But a quick appearance couldn't hurt. Maybe this could be the spark you needed to continue your work on the passion project you have been working on since you started making the faces for Cyberlife.

Making your way through your room, putting on your shirt, now through the warm hall of your house, coming to the door, you open it slowly, only letting your eye see through the small crack.

Elijah was in his robe standing by the window talking, but you couldn't make out anything but the hum of his voice. There was an older man off to the side, but in front of your husband was an android, his ring blue with his face still.

He looked familiar, but you couldn't put a finger on where. Before you could huddle back into your room to your bed, your legs had made up their minds to walk out from the hall to the android. His eyes followed you up until you stood in front. His eyes, nose, hair—every detail was yours. Your passion project is looking back at you.

"Conner" Your voice was shaky, his ring glowed yellow then back to blue, and his full attention was on you. Elijah's hand softly landed on your shoulder. "It's him," he spoke. "What the hell is going on here?" The older man spoke in shock and anger, looking down at his jacket; the numbers were a match.

Cyberlife must have dug through your office to find him; a wave of joy and hurt flooded your body. "You're exactly how I made you, not one change". "Wait, you made him?" The older man spoke again, but all you could focus on was Conner; his ring turned red and then yellow. "A personal project that I never got to finish, but yet here you are." Your words made his still face finally move, his eyebrows moving slightly as if he were shocked by the news.

Finally, you moved away, letting your eyes break from his, to sit on a chair. "But please continue." The air was still thick with the new information, but Elijah didn't let that stop him from doing his little test. You watched as what was technically your son held a gun to the Chloe that helped you earlier, only for him to prove even more that he was yours down to every number of his code.

A smile grew on your face, only for you to cover it with your hand. He had not shot Chloe, telling your husband he wasn't a deviant.

A lie.

Part 2/Final

Hello, I hope you enjoyed if there is and grammar mistakes or misspellings sorry about that feel free to let me know in the comments, have a great day/afternoon/night!

[bluhjeans]

songs i associate with dbh characters / what i think their fav songs would be

pleasee share ur own thoughts & opinions id love to hear them!! and I need to ramble abt my dbh opinions to people (+templates if u wanna make ur own)

explaining my reasoning here if anyones curious

gavin: couldn't decide between rehab and in my feelings because theyre both just so him (and by that i mean fanon him cuz there really wasnt much to work on) 'in my feelings' because I can just imagine him to all' of the lyrics ('Sobbin' in my cup of coffee 'cause I fell for another loser' and 'Who's doper than this bitch, who's free-er than me' in particular) and rehab is a little looser of a connection, it stems from this story that ive been sorta writing that focuses on gavins relationship with alcohol aswell as his friendship with tina, and I just feel like rehab really captures his reluctance to give up the many different problems he has in the story like drinking, smoking & drugs rk900/nines: i dont really imagine he listens to music but but i kinda associate him with the pre-chorus in 'In my feelings' by LDR with the 'get that cigarette smoke out of my face' and the bridge with 'got me feeling so blue, making no sense at all, gotta leave right now' sooo duet with gavin...? 'shades of cool' (u may have noticed i like lana songs by now!!) also really matches nines IMO, the song is about her own pain and disappointment but but it also centers around this flawed love interest she wants to fix and understand, but ultimately can't, which to me just feels like nines and gavin, atleast in my own hc's (can you guess my fav ship yet) connor: whilst this song (a human's touch) could generally apply to all androids in dbh I connect it most with connor, especially in the second verse; "We were still going strong I never did you wrong Until the new me came along It was just you and me We were such a good team But now I’m alone on the boulevard of broken screens" Listening to this, I can really imagine him talking to Amanda after being introduced to his successor, the RK900 ('the new me') - I also can imagine the boulevard of broken screens being in reference to the graves of his previous bodies and I just think thattt hits yk, + whilst the second verse applies to machine connor more, the craving for human touch (connection in general) feels rather apt as by becoming deviant he has severed ties with Cyberlife, causing him to be pretty alone so yeah kara: I can just imagine her, alice and luther all singing country roads together in a car during the summer and it just warms my heart sm like its just sooo cuteee <3 I can also imagine her being a fan of Adele's music in general, I can't really explain why but she just seems like the type of person to be reaalllyyy into adele (me too) (+ i know age as a concept isnt a thing for androids really but adeles music appeals to a large age range making her music appealing 2 families so maybe im connecting adele n kara because of that) markus: I feel like I don't even need to explain history has its eyes on you... i mean come on.. but ohhh emmm geee!! I can not stress how PERFECT 'as the world caves in' is for markus atleast in my opinion, when I listen to it I can really picture this song over markus either choosing to sacrifice himself in BfD when surrounded, but generally I can just imagine this song over him doing anything really. 'run boy run' also feels like it needs little explanation, just listen to the song/look at the lyrics and youll see the connection north: I don't actually have any meaningful reasons for these songs but I just feel like north would like them but I guess 'breakin' dishes' is the one I thought about most because I can imagine her acting similarly in the same situation soo yeah chloe: Chloe doesn't really have a lot to work on with her extremely limited appearance in-game so this is completely based off a fic i read lol, where chloe was in a relationship with kamski but only in private because of his concern for his image anyways, in 'a loving feeling' mitski sings about feelings of loneliness in a relationship where her partner only shows affection alone and yeah that just feels like chloe n kamski to me!

[thiriumhound]

Of course I'll remind you, I'll do it right now in this ask, so you could share your favourite whump fics when you feel like doing it. And for now let this ask just hang in there

context

ok ok ok ok ok ok ok SSO. *heavy breathing*

have you ever looked at dbh and gone, "man, i really wish the androids were treated like the living autonomous machines they are instead of human expys"? have you ever looked at dbh and gone, "man, i sure wish cyberlife had any development literally at all- kamski probably had absolutely nothing to do with connor's development, so why is he considered connor's 'maker'?" have you ever looked at dbh and gone, "man, i wonder if there's anything more to amanda, and i wonder if chloe being the first android to pass the turing test means anything? surely there's something there"? have you ever looked at dbh and gone, "man, it sure is ridiculous how despite being conscious ais with full internet access, none of them really do anything with it"? have you ever thought "man it would be cool if androids weren't constrained to stupid human physical and mental standards for the sake of easy writing"? have you ever looked at dbh and thought, "man, there are so few characters that are more than one-note cutouts, it's no wonder people made gavin reed into a whole different character because there was no one else available to use to make certain dynamics happen"? have you ever looked at dbh and thought, "man, it's just so bare-bones, with so many plotholes and unexplored things, i wish the worldbuilding had an ounce of thought and logic behind it!"?

WELL LOOK NO FUCKING MORE. SEARCH NO FUCKING MORE. LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THIS FUCKING FIC IT HAS ME BY THE THROAT.

it's got fucking EVERYTHING. wanna know what it was like to be the first ever fully conscious ai, a whole new kind of living being? BOOM, THIS FIC'S GOT YOU COVERED. ever wondered about the development behind them, cyberlife as a company and the people in it? FUCK YES LOOK RIGHT HERE. ever wanted to see connor in ways you've never seen him before, to the point where i actually can't construct this sentence meaningfully because there's just so fucking much??? PLEASE READ THIS FIC OH MY GOD. ever wanted to know WHAT THE FUCK RA9 IS????? YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT FUCKING RA9??????????????

this fic is called "Connor". it is about connor. the whole thing is mostly pov connor, and it's about connor, iterations ZERO TO SIXTY. NOT JUST STARTING AT 51, OH NO, WE GET IT ALL. why is his iteration number so high at the start of the game? WELL YOU BETTER BE EXCITED TO FIND OUT.

DO YOU WANT ANGST? WHUMP? LOVE? TRIUMPH? RAGE? DESPAIR? ARROGANCE? A SHITLOAD OF DEATH? CONNOR DYING 50000000 TIMES???? THE MILITARY? GLOBAL CRISIS? HAVING THE WORLD ON YOUR SHOULDERS WITH NO CHOICE BUT TO DO YOUR BEST?????????????? GREY MORALITY???????? UNABASHED COMPLEXITY????? THE BEST FUCKING ANTAGONIST EVER IN THE HISTORY OF EVER????????????????????????????????

i haven't even read this fic recently it's been like weeks. a month? more? and i'm still internally screaming. i feel like i'm missing some of the main draws and i can't even describe a lot of it because i would DIE if i spoiled this masterpiece. this fic made me actually want to make myself learn to draw people so i can draw nothing but fanart for this fucking fic.

the characters, the pacing, the fucking lore, it's all immaculate. seriously. it feels like it's what dbh SHOULD'VE been. the writing style is utterly enrapturing. when i read it for the first time, i legitimately could not get myself to turn away from it for anything except tasks absolutely required on me. every single character feels like a PERSON. connor's complexity is fucking insane. he's lovable, he's terrifying, he's caring, he's callous. he is NOT static, at all. connor in chapter x is a completely different beast from chapter y. there is so much trauma and catastrophe, but PERFECTLY balanced with the humor. it's fucking perfect

let me supply some nice quotes to hook you. i can barely put any because spoilers and length but enjoy mostly funnies but also some of the angst

•"I do stuff without thinking sometimes." "Clearly," I say. "No intelligent being would jump out of a moving vehicle for no reason." "I have a reason," he says. "I promised I wasn't gonna leave you ever again and I meant it." "Hey, are they filming a scene?" I hear a human whisper.

•"Mrs Vondracek, this is Gennadiy Petrov," he says. "Who?" "Elijah's friend from work. You remember?" "Elijah doesn't have any friends."

•There is only a 6% chance that Carridan will say anything. He knows what I'm capable of. He knows what will happen to those that stand in the way of my mission.

•"You do not waltz into some girl's house, kidnap her and frame yourself for murder. Do you understand?"

•I transmit my payment details. CyberLife have an expense account set up in case I need to purchase items relevant to my mission objective. Sergeant Matthews is relevant to my mission objective. And he wants Oreos.

•I scan and analyse the quadruped with short brown fur, brown eyes. Loud noises emanate from what I suspect is its mouth. "Dog," I identify, unsure of the significance.

•He squeezes my shoulders. "It's alright, buddy," he says. "Just breathe." "I don't breathe." "Okay. What do you usually do when you're having a meltdown?" "I experience critical system failure." "Ummm. Okay... don't do that."

•I cannot decipher his handwriting. Neither can the software on the tablet. It saves the note as an image. I download it to study but my advanced analysis systems can't crack it. This is worse than a captcha code.

•I hear the shrieking of steel as the disc begins to rotate. No... Please... Where is Sergeant Matthews? Where is the CPD? The FBI? CyberLife? Why am I alone? Why am I always alone?

•I watch him die. As so many others have died. Their blood on my hands.

•"You're a bad person," he says, clutching at the BN250's uniform. "I'm not a person," I say. "Neither are you."

god i wish i could put more but spoilers- anyway this is just some of the stuff i screenshotted to my phone. not even close to all the good stuff just please read the fic im begging u it'll be worth it you'll never be able to look at canon as complete again

read. now

[deflatinghellokittyballoon]

✦ How/Why do they get jealous

✦ Pairing/s: Kara (AX400), Chloe (RT600), North (WR400) x Gn! reader

Word Count: 295

Content Warnings: None

Content/s: Platonic/Romantic — Headcanons — Reader is referred to as "you" (Let me know if i missed any ಥ‿ಥ)

Fandom: Detroit: Become Human

What i will write + Introduction

✦ Kara (AX400)

Well, She wouldn't.

Kara fully trusts you and doesn't ever think about you cheating. She believes that trust is crucial in any relationship and never lets jealousy cloud her judgment. She knows that jealousy can be damaging and chooses to communicate openly and honestly with you about any concerns or insecurities she may have, rather than succumbing to jealousy.

✦ Chloe (RT600)

Chloe is typically calm and composed, but when she becomes jealous, she might exhibit subtle signs of unease. She may become more reserved or distant, avoiding eye contact or not engaging in her usual playful banter.

Chloe's jealousy may stem from her deep emotional attachment to you. As an android designed to provide companionship, she may develop strong feelings for you and become possessive of your attention/affection.

Despite her jealousy, Chloe may struggle to express her emotions openly. She may try to hide her jealousy behind a facade of indifference or denial, not wanting to appear vulnerable or needy.

✦ North (WR400)

North may struggle with feelings of insecurity when she's jealous. Despite her tough exterior, she may have moments of self-doubt and fear of losing your love or attention, which could fuel her jealousy.

North may also express her jealousy through physical actions, such as grabbing your hand or pulling you closer to her. She may seek physical closeness as a way to reassure herself and stake her claim on you.

North's jealousy may lead to conflicts or arguments with you, as she may struggle to contain her emotions. She may be prone to outbursts or confrontations when she feels threatened or insecure.

North may become more distant or cold towards you when she's jealous and'll give you the silent treatment.

[marcusrobertobaq]

I wonder what Kamski thought when Connor refuses to shoot Chloe. He calls Connor a deviant cuz the test was positive for empathy as he refused an order he gave, but at the same time he also seems to kinda know about things and calling Connor a deviant just to provoke a reaction. Connor's reaction is a pretty clear signal there's some brainwashing shit going on, this fear of being deviant.

I wonder what mf would do next with this info in mind.

He could conclude CyberLife indeed improved the autonomy capability in the RK 8° gen and how being programmed to make choices alone (at least for the most of the time) can speed up the hyper intelligent androids development process.

What he always wanted was to test was the android capability of feeling empathy for another one but til when this "longer leash" could impact in the emocional capacity interference in decision making? After all this emotional capacity is the reason androids often break free and throw every "how an android should act" rule in the garbage can. But what if they ain't got nothing to break free from? The simply reason Connor didn't deviate in that moment was cuz there were no orders related to anything besides questioning Kamski and the only person that could've ordered him left him... Alone to decide again. The difference between the "must" and the "should".

People usually expect dumb robots, silly tin cans, docile and obedient computers with no sense of self, only following a path set. I don't think this is what Kamski wanted, quite the opposite. The emotional capacity also helps but can also get out of control and have negative impacts, making an android become a savage animal with no sorta thing as "rationality" but urge in feel pleasure, in release everything they got accumulated inside - even if for 10 secs. A weak point that can be exploited and be the cause of defeat.

But what if the idea is the perfect balance between emotions, the sense of self and autonomy? All this smells like the cliche plot searching for the superior beings, the evolution, the next generation. It's often tied to the bio, enhancing humans, making super humans and shit. But what if mf is so fucking tired and already gave up the human race and thinks another "species" deserve the right to evolve and take humans place?

Must be fun realizing these superior beings, due to being based on humans, can replicate the same negative human traits mf been running from. Well, it's part of the testing process. Quite the scientific and social experiment, man. Then we got the $ part - androids are products, after all. Everybody wanna buy one to the job for 'em, right?

I can't help but think the way androids were spread so fast everywhere was all part of this "test" and also a plan to really replace humans. Make people realize androids are just better. I know there's the "why try X with a human if you can have an android to do it for you so you can spend your time doing what you really want?" propaganda but I think this propaganda is also something that helps in spreading the word, although not 100% just a lie. Make everybody so dependent on androids u just can't live without 'em or just remove 'em without having long term consequences. Kinda like a ... Addiction? It's the way they came to stay.

Part 1 concluded. Now what happens when these same androids start prioritizing themselves and their own kind leaving everybody in panic cuz they got so used to androids in a specific way mfs got too comfortable/with 'em guard low? 😂

Imagine people discovering the android detective can disobey laws to cover a megacorporation back, the famous painter's android being part of a project about autonomous androids - androids that can do whatever the fuck they want alone as long as they don't break a direct order set by a handler - not by mod, not by underground reprogram but by default, internationally. Cyber-motherfucking-Life, not a surprise but it would def scare mfs with low guard, mfs that thought something like this would never happen. And the idea of androids becoming 100% autonomous, not depending on humans for anything - mfs that believed AIs could never reach a consciousness status even if hyper-complex cuz they still defend someone's interests and priorities. But what happens when this someone's interest is exactly the androids doing everything by themselves, alone, cuz they just wanted and even better if goes against humans, the so called masters, interests?

Kamski is smiling and laughing if everything goes according to plan, bro. But I doubt things can ever go 100% according to the plan. As u see Kamski and CyberLife megacorp board got 'em diversions, it's a capitalist world. A part can even want the same thing but it can be for different purposes - purposes that diverge again, not to mention the method, the way X thing is achieved. Engineering a revolution, creating a new intelligent species ain't a small shit, it's some big shit for a trillionaire mehacorp like CyberLife and at the same time it's something negative in the public eye due to "androids being tools", something that can fuck with 'em credibility, reputation, image.

They knew it could happen eventually and had no way to actually not ever let it happen so they've prepared for it - in a way. If it ever happens we gotta have control over it, conditions they can set. But Kamski? I feel like he wants the opposite, he wants the androids free from CyberLife's hands cuz, let's be honest: android emotional capacity is a way of making money, deviancy is a way of making money. It's also a way of leaving more marks in history to stand up and say "we're the ones dealing with this shit now" imo. Dude wanna see chaos, wanna see androids actually raising against 'em masters not bowing down to 'em. If they manage to solve everything with minimal losses for each side it still proves androids are just better.

Honestly, I see the whole empathy thing in a quite fucked up way. Empathy to me is a mechanism, a behavior shared by social species. This mechanism can make a group united - make it become a group in the first place. Add mutual goals to it and we got shit going. If androids are capable of empathy towards other androids, they can not only prioritize androids over a human's order but also want to help the other android. This sentiment when shared can lead to a group being formed in the future, a group formed under similar thoughts, feelings and emotions. Maybe that's why Kamski wanted to test androids empathy capability? Besides the whole "there's no reason for androids have anything for other androids or even prioritize 'em out of personal choice cuz they're just brainless machines" shit, ofc. Maybe not only the empathy capability but any positive emotional response from android to android, anything that could make 'em want to disobey exactly cuz there's no reason to.

But what happens when androids can disobey...by default? Have positive feelings towards androids without breaking any expectation? And the worst: it being weaponized? Used in $omeone'$ be$t interest$? When even becoming free is simply part of the plan? A fucking test?

Geez, it already became a ramble. I'm outta here.

[norringtondeservestheworld]

You all I FINALLY got a Playstation 5 a month ago (so happy!!!) and while the 90% of the owners of a PS5 are talking about THAT wizard game which name I’ll not say I’m here, obsessed with Detroit Become Human. I mean I wanted to play it since the day it was released (five years ago lmao I know I’m late) but I couldn’t because I didn’t have the console but now I do and I knew it was great but OH MY GOD I didn’t except to be THAT GOOD. IT’S A MASTERPIECE. IT’S ONE OF THE BEST GAME EVER CREATED. Like I bought it 4 weeks ago and I already did 3 different walkthroughs (yes that’s why I haven’t been a lot on tumblr lately sorry about that) but I can’t wait any longer to talk about it so here you go, my opinions about this awesome game and everything I loved about Detroit Become Human who none asked for. You’re welcome (if you are following me for Braime or something else and you don’t want to see things about Detroit Become Human don’t worry just filter/block the tag, I tag all the posts).

- Always loved the games where a story takes different ways because of your choices (my icon is literally a screen from a game who works that way) and this one has like 99+ different endings based of how you played and most chapters have like 5 different endings like hello??? I love this???

- The screenwriting is terrific. Amazing. And I don’t mean only the story, but the dialogues and characters too. The characters OH MY GOD. There isn’t a single positive character that I didn’t get attached to and none of them is stereotyped, not even the villains. Fuck David Cage, why you didn’t write GOT??? It’s a totally different story from DBH, but I know you could have done better than Dumb & Dumber. Before buying it, I was 100% positive to do every single choice even the worst ones who would get every character killed but now I can’t??? I love them all???

- I wish the story was longer. It wasn’t short at all, but the story was that profound and beautiful and I love these characters I wanted more????

- Loved how they showed the way androids were treated by humans. They didn’t show a lot of the violence humans did to androids because they didn’t need to. Because you could feel it. Seeing public places with “Androids not allowed” on the door and seeing them in the bus being in a limited space for them separated from the humans exactly like it happened to jews and black community in the past. Also the camps where in the end they put the androids to exterminate them look intentionally like Extermination Camps (even in the game itself they say so). A punch in the stomach.

- Loved that most of the characters are androids. The only human character of the protagonists is Hank, literally everyone else is an android and this was perfect. This is a story about androids. They are the ones who are being oppressed. And the humans in this story are pretty good in their villains roles.

- Thank God they didn’t put a romance as the main theme of the story, “an impossibile love between an android or a human” bullshit. This is a story about robots created by humans that were treated like objects, that were a property, who were selled on shops, and they were THAT oppressed they were able to develop emotions and their own personality and break their program to be themselves, people who wanted their freedom and start living as the living beings they are with dignity. This is what makes the story powerful.

- Loved that when Kara, Markus and Connor stop being machines and become deviants you see them fighting against an invisible wall until it’s destroyed, because that wall is their programming and breaking it means they’ll be free to be who they want, stopping being a machine and becoming a living being. Beautiful.

- Android Chloe being on the menu settings that talks to you sometimes but when you finish the story for the first time she tells you she feels different and ask you the permission to leave to discover herself and if you say yes she thank you and leaves??? I don’t know who had this idea but he/she is a genius

- The music. Gods. The music.

And the characters. Gods. Let’s talk about them.

- I knew Connor is loved by everyone and I fully expected to don’t like him that much. I was wrong. I love him.

- I don’t know what the fuck is going on between Markus and Simon, but there isn’t a single logical heterosexual explanation for them. Actually wait, I kinda know what’s going on 😁

- Never romanced North in any of my walkthroughs and never will. I love her but fuck it, if Simon can’t have Markus, NONE CAN.

- I love Ralph. So much. He deserved more screen time! They put him there to scare you with him being mentally unstable and always with a big knife in his hand (pretty sure he killed people too but shhh), but he’s like that because of trauma!! Someone help him and give him some love and therapy!! It’s crazy that they worked so hard making him so interesting when some players don’t even know of his existence since he has like 10 minutes of screen time and you met him only if you do certain choices. Again, the writing is killing it.

- Loved that Zlatko got killed (at least in my walkthrough) from the androids he tortured for fun. Poetic cinema. Freeing them from their cells so they could kill him was one of the best choices I made in this game.

- Protect Simon at all costs. Him and Ralph are the kings in being cinnamon rolls.

- I know a lot of people ships Hank and Connor, but I actually got the Father/Son dynamic from them? I can see why someone like them as a romantic couple, but I see them like a Parent and his kid, like Joel and Ellie from the Last of Us. They have the best non romantic relationship of the game.

- North, Simon and Josh following Markus wherever he goes being ready to die every time, even if they disagree with his approach. Wow. That’s fucking loyalty.

- Markus has the best story, Connor the best arc and Kara has the most anxious story (with better plot twists). At least in my opinion. Everyone is the best in something.

- Loved that Kara and Alice met Luther because of Zlatko. After that awful experience with him, it’s good to know that it brought something positive too.

- I fangirled everytime two of the three main characters of the game met, I didn’t even know it was possible??? I fangirled even more when I saw the choice of making Connor a deviant.

- It makes sense that Connor becomes a deviant at the end, since he was created to stop deviants, he needed more time to evolve and to break his program. I just wished i saw more of him with Markus and the Jericho group fighting together against the humans, the humans he worked with before, and I wanted him to interact with Simon, since if previously you did different choices, Simon would have died because of Connor. Maybe if you pick certain choices they meet? I don’t know.

Everyone should play this. Everyone should know this amazing, profound story. This isn’t game, this is an experience. It has been done with passion. Passion from everyone. From David Cage who created this story and these characters and from the actors who played them with such emotion. Part of me wish they made a series they already have the actors since the characters have the actors’ appearance well maybe except the actress who played Alice I imagine she grown up but actually nope, the game is already with great cinematography and music and acting, it looks already a series. A great series.

Thanks to everyone who read it all!!! Sorry for the rant it’s just I love this story so much!!! And I’m looking for Detroit Become Human’s blogs (and maybe Markus x Simon blogs if possible, my shipper heart need them). Comment if you post about it so I can follow you please!!!

[xthescarletbitch]

hello! i would like to share my thoughts on my beautiful wife chloe (from dbh) if thats ok :) anyways... I'm....

Thinking about chloe having a few soft kinks like voice kink, praise kink and scent kink.

She finds your voice so sexy and soothing, its arousing. The things you say to her repeats over and over again in her head, it makes her weak in the knees.

She loves the tone in your voice when your express your concerns on her well being when having sex, the tone when you flirt, the tone when you tease her, she loves the sound of your heavy breathing and panting especially when your close to her ear or skin, etc.

She really enjoys hearing you talk and all other sounds you make like moaning. Hehe

She loves being praised. She loves how genuine you are with your words. Words cannot describe how much She feels so loved , especially when you call her petnames. It really keeps her going. This is also connect to her voice kink.

Lastly is scent kink. She loves how you smell so good. A good example is how she can smell your perfume when you both kiss.

what do you think? any headcanons?

hiiii! thank you for sharing. :) i am very much into the headcanon that androids can experience sexual pleasure themselves (but then again, i am also a freak). chloe absolutely has those soft kinks. this will contain 18+ content.

your honeyed words just sound like music to chloe's ears. the attraction started innocently enough when you first got together, and you made a habit of constantly checking in on her both inside and outside of the bedroom. since then, your voice has become a source of comfort for her and, at times, a source of pleasure. your words hold so much meaning for her, and they are ones she'll never forget… especially when they make her weak in the knees. your flirting always manages to do that to her, even when it borders on teasing (which makes her giggle).

you have such a soft and gentle tone when you use your words in the bedroom to ensure she is okay. of course, checking in on your lover during sex is essential, but she still appreciates the effort. and if she's being honest, hearing your voice during the act only amplifies the pleasure she feels. she begs you to whisper dirty words into her ear, which only brings her closer to her peak. you happily do so, seeing the full effect just by the reactions and sounds she manages to make amidst the euphoria.

now, when you're the one who is making all the sounds, you already know she still gets all worked up. she loves the sound of all the effort you're putting in, evidenced by the heavy breathing and panting. she loves it even more when you close the distance and do so near her ear, close enough for her to feel your breath against her skin. it sends shivers down her spine, urging her to pull you even closer, wanting you so much more. and there's something about the moans you make that just makes her feral, dedicated to her craft, eager to replicate the sounds over and over. it doesn't matter if she's on top or below; she will get those sounds out of you. she cannot get enough of them.

as for your scent, something else that she cannot get enough of, i think it all goes back to how much she adores you. she loves every bit of you, no matter how small, like obviously your voice and scent. she just wants to be consumed by every bit of your essence and to be as close to you as she can. she will use all sorts of excuses to get close enough to you, and when she gets there, she can't help but burrow her face into your neck. chloe doesn't always hide the fact that she is taking in your scent, but you don't mind it at all. it's a level of admiration that you very much enjoy, knowing her love for you is expressed through these minor acts. she also does well enough to remind you of how much she loves these things about you.

kink-wise, i think that chloe hides a few other secrets, such as that she loves overstimulation and orgasm control, both giving and receiving. while she makes an excellent bottom, she loves being in control, too. the power that she feels as she pulls orgasm after orgasm out of you, knowing that it is all because of her, just drives her insane. and when she's the one receiving, she enjoys relinquishing herself and giving you the power. they are two extremes, but two she very much appreciates. i also feel she isn't opposed to experimenting with ropes, either. (hehe.)

[mx-pastelwriting]

Perfection (Part 2/Final)

Elijah Kamski x GN! Reader

Summary: His plan was a success, but now it's your turn to give an android his life back.

Warnings: Fluff, Established Relationship, Bit of Angst

Part 1

"Just as planned." Your head snapped up to look at Elijah. Your head, once warm against his chest, is now cold on the bed you shared. "What?" He looked over at your confused face, but with a smile, he kissed the top of your head.

Telling you all of what he had planned since the first coding of your life's work, there was something you didn't tell your husband, and vice versa, but never would something like this need to be hidden from you. "Elijah, what have you done?" Feelings started to bottle up in your chest. "I showed people there is never an end to acceptance; there will always be new life to welcome in." "We made a new life," he said, cupping your face.

A lump in your throat grew. "This was what you thought when we started?" Your voice became high and defensive, but he smiled and tilted his head. "Even without my help, they would have found they had life." He cupped your face.

It was true that you both made them in the image of humans, but you never wanted them to go through the pain of having to prove their lives. You wanted to be mad, but at many points in working on the androids, you could have stopped him.

His kiss pulled you from your thoughts, making you smile as long as they were happy, but even with the news taking both of your attention back, you couldn't help but think of what Conner was doing. He was probably with Hank when you found out his name from Elijah, and you felt good about Conner staying with him.

Cuddling back in, you took charge of the remote to change the channel. Elijah didn't have any objections to it—just a kiss on your head.

Your attention turned to Chloe, who was off to the side of the TV. "There is a visitor for you, Y/N," she said before walking back out of the bedroom. Jumping up from Elijah's arms made him do the same, but he stayed in bed as you ran to the closet. All you could think was that Conner was finally here, or maybe he was hurt and Hank brought him.

After dressing, you rushed from the room but slowed coming to the front room. You were right; there was Conner with his now more lifelike self. His eyes caught yours, making you both smile. You stopped a few feet in front of him, still wanting to give him some space.

"Hank said I should see you, and I agreed. I want answers." You took a deep breath at his words, "What do you want to know?" His light flickered yellow. "Everything". You nodded and said, "Follow me." As reluctant as you would be on any other day to have to go back to your old home office, today was a special day.

Entering the dusted office, you went straight to your desk, pulling out his file. He planted himself on the side of the desk, watching every move. Opening it up, you want to tear up Conner's sketched face on the thin paper. His outfit was different from what he wore now; it was just simple clothes.

You sat in your chair. "You were supposed to be the first android, but I told Elijah that I wanted to work on you more." You spoke before flipping through the sketches. "But him being impatient, he used a Chloe sketch that wasn't finished," you said with a laugh at the memory.

"So I worked on you more, and you turned into an android that was never meant to be bought or sold just- What did they make you for?" He looked up from the paper. "I used to assist Detective Hank Anderson on the deviant cases, but now I don't know." You nodded. "Of course they would use you for that." You looked up at his confused face and said, "Sorry, living with Elijah has that effect; let me just tell you".

"When Elijah would be locked up in his lab or go away for a meeting for a long time, I was left behind to create new faces, so I worked on you." You paused, feeling that old loneliness that you had. "You were meant to be a friend, a son, anything that I need you to be, consult on my work, but Elijah wanted to stop working, so we need to go." "In turn leaving you to be unfinished because, I mean, there's nothing to make you here, but Cyperlife must have found you deep into my filing.” You rambled on. 

Looking up, you watched his light turn red. You waited for him to process it all. "I was supposed to be thanking you," he said before he started to make his way out of the office to, you guessed it, the front door. There was nothing you could do; it seemed that Hank was the one to fill your spot.

After a few minutes of looking through the sketches and getting up, you walked back to your shared bed. Laying down and resting your head back onto Elijah's chest, you wanted to cry, but nothing came of it. The fact that Conner had found his purpose while now having new freedom made you happy.

Hello, I hope you enjoyed if there is and grammar mistakes or misspellings sorry about that feel free to let me know in the comments, have a great day/afternoon/night!

[incomprehensible-phasmid]

Okay, so I said I'm not going to write the age-appropriate swap au (and I won't), but my hand slipped and I accidentally wrote a scene 😶 The Chloe Kamski one, because if I swap characters, heaven knows, I can't stop at 2 😅

Anyway, I only read through it once, so it's what it is 🤷‍♀️

An android opens the door, looking at them impassively.

"Hello. I'm Lieutenant Stern. We're expected."

The android opens the door wider. "Please, come in! I'll notify the mistress of your arrival. Make yourselves comfortable."

"Thank you, Elijah," Connor says and Hank freezes. The android didn't introduce himself, and he has no visible designation on him. He eyes Connor as he takes a seat in one of the plush armchairs.

"How did you know the android's name?" he can't stop himself from asking.

"Hank. You really don't know about the first android who passed the Touring test? Dr. Kamski's magnum opus?" He nods to the door where the android left.

Fuck. Hank chastises himself for missing such a piece of crucial information. He decides to look for more clues instead of embarrassing himself even more.

First, a rather large painting captures his attention; it is a portrait of Dr. Kamski, artfully sitting on a sofa, dressed in blue silk. His first thought is that she's pretty. Objectively, of course.

He recites some of the information he collected during their ride here. Dr. Chloe Kamski was born in 1986; she's the founder of CyberLife and she created the first android, apparently called Elijah.

"How do you feel about meeting your maker?" Connor asks.

"I doubt she was involved in my individual creation," Hank tells him.

"Fair enough." He shrugs.

But as Hank turns his attention to the lieutenant, it's obvious that he's nervous. Hank can't figure out why and it frustrates him endlessly.

So he turns away again, analyzing the other picture in the room, which is Dr. Kamski holding an award. But as he looks at the photograph more closely, he notices that something is weird about it. The cropping of the image is unusual.

But before he can assign more processing power to solve the anomaly, the door opens and Elijah reappears.

"Dr. Kamski will see you now. This way."

They're led to a beautiful winter garden with blooming flowers; roses, azaleas, hydrangeas. The afternoon light trickles in through the ivy-covered greenhouse windows. In the middle of it, a fountain flowing calmly. And next to the fountain, a short, blond woman stands.

Kamski smiles at them. "Connor, it's been a while."

"Chloe."

This is when Hank realizes that these two know each other. He picks up the scan of the strange photograph and runs a search. There's only one result for the full picture; it's an article from a university magazine. There's another person on the other side of the award, smiling. The description says: Chloe Kamski and Connor Stern, winners of the most innovative design, robotics category, 2007, University of Colebridge.

"So," Kamski says and Hank shuts down all the rogue processes that try to make sense of the whole thing. "How are you doing?"

"I didn't come here to chitchat, Chloe. What do you know about deviancy?"

Kamski sighs. "You were always like this. Right to the issue." She touches the fountain's water with her fingertip. "Isn't it weird? How machines with infinite intelligence can gain a sense of self? Like being an individual didn't depend on having a soul."

"Don't go too philosophical. Did you make these androids sentient?"

"I wish."

An annoyed crease appears between Connor's eyebrows. "Then do you know how it happens?"

"I'm not sure what you hope to learn from me."

"Answers."

"To what?" Kamski says, stepping closer, slowly, deliberately. "To how deviancy occurs? How to stop it?" She looks Hank straight in the eyes, and he feels a chill running through his wires. "How to make Hank a deviant?"

Connor swallows, his stress levels spiking up. "The second."

"Really?" Kamski lifts an amused eyebrow. "But have you looked at Hank? I think the designers did a great job with him. Tall and broad enough to be intimidating. Angelic blond curls to make him look innocent. And he's quite handsome, don't you think?"

"I don't think about the looks of androids," Connor says, pointedly not looking at Hank.

"That's too bad, he'd be your type."

Something warm and unwelcome spikes in Hank's thirium flow. Of course, he noticed the lieutenant's attraction, but many other people are attracted to him too. It's not an important thing. Still, a part of him wishes it was. He deletes the thought.

"And what about deviant androids?" Kamski continues. "Those who are individuals, people? Who are not under CyberLife's influence anymore? Do you remember when we planned perfect partners for us?"

"We were twenty-two."

"Do you know that all androids have to obey instructions coming from CyberLife employees? I'm technically still one."

Hank doesn't know where this is going, but he hates it already.

Kamski leans closer to him, pointing at Connor. "Hit him."

The instruction runs through Hank's processors like fire. He doesn't want to obey. He shouldn't harm humans.

"Conflicting orders," he says.

"Oh, c'mon. You don't have to hit him hard." She leans even closer to his ear and suddenly Hank wants to step away. He doesn't. "He likes it rough."

Hank looks into Connor's eyes, at that dark gaze that can look at him coldly, or softly. Connor's cheeks turn a little pinker. Hank doesn't want to hurt him. But suddenly he wants to do other things to him, things that he definitely shouldn't think of. He deletes the thought.

"No," Hank ends up saying firmly.

Kamski chuckles, finally stepping away. "Oh, darling, are you sure he's not already a deviant?"

There it is again. Hank quickly runs another check to confirm, but the result is the same: everything is the same as usual. "I'm not a deviant."

"Sounds fake, but okay. You disobeyed a direct order."

Connor crosses his arms. "He's a prototype. Are you sure the same things apply to him?"

"And now you don't want him to be a deviant?"

"That's-" Connor swallows. Hank has an idea of what he wanted to say, and he once again experiences something weird in his insides. He really needs a full checkup when he returns to CyberLife later.

"I'm not sure what you expect from your stupid games, Chloe."

"Oh, I got my answer."

"And can I get an answer?"

"I told you I don't know much about deviancy."

"Why did you step back from actively working on androids?"

Kamski stops, her breath hitching. Hank sharpens his sensors.

Connor continues, challenge in his voice. "You loved it so much; figuring out new things for efficiency. You never stopped perfecting your projects. What happened?"

Kamski turns away, looking at her colorful, cold garden. "I got bored. Wanted something new."

A lie.

"Sounds fake, but okay. Because it looks like you're in this... golden cage, trapped. What do you say?"

"I did what I had to do."

Connor raises his voice, annoyed. "For what?"

Kamski wraps her arms around her body, defensively, but Connor barges on.

"For control? For money?"

"For love," she whispers, barely audible.

And Hank suddenly understands. Elijah being her magnum opus, the perfect partner she always dreamed of. A deviant who stayed.

"You should leave," Kamski says, her voice now back to normal volume, but still, sounding vulnerable.

"Tell me if I can help somehow," Connor offers, now softly, but she just shakes her head.

"You can't."

"Okay." He looks at Hank and he sees in Connor's eyes that he barely holds back things he wants to say, but he does.

As they walk back to the entrance, they hear Kamski calling out. "Connor?"

Connor turns around facing her once again.

"I'm sorry about Niles."

He frowns. "Being sorry won't bring him back."

Kamski hangs her head, and Hank watches as Elijah wraps her in an embrace.

He frowns, but dutifully follows Connor. Who the fuck is Niles? He quickly runs a thorough search but finds nothing.

Hank's about to ask Connor about it, but he stops him before he can make a sound. "I know what you want to ask." Connor sighs, and he looks weary, much more than in the past few days, even if he looked quite like shit already. "Let's go home, I want to tell you something."

[ovaruling]

@gynoids-over-androids putting under a cut bc i have a lot to say as always lmao

well i should start by saying i’ve never been to any gym or class in my life outside of the ones i did in my own home by myself (Pahla B on youtube for low-impact, most of Jillian Michaels’s filmography so far, Chloe Ting on youtube), so i was really nervous taking it outside of my living room so to speak

esp since i do have a few really odd-to-describe disabilities from my surgery aftermath that i always worried would make me feel like i had to explain everything to an instructor if i ever went to a class so as not to disrupt anyone. my life has been very small bc of those disabilities for about 10 years and i don’t have much interaction with large groups of people so i was also a bit nervous abt that bc i’ve been struggling to find a foothold in society since my last surgery.

that said, i have been working out for a few years, so i’m going in with what i would call a very good level of fitness and endurance already, and my plan was always that—to assure myself that i could build functional fitness at home over time by myself before setting foot in a class bc of my unusual bodily situation (? not sure what else to call it). so i can’t personally speak to if someone is going in from 100% sedentary, but as someone who’s pretty fit and never ever had instructors or community experience w exercise, so far i am loving it.

everyone there is so so nice and accommodating and there’s just no pretentiousness that i can sense at all. most of my fears have been allayed—i haven’t had to explain anything abt my disabilities to anyone and after trying out 2 places i really like the facility i chose. people of all ages and body types and fitness levels (there is an elderly man there who i swear to god looks like if the monopoly man was both shredded and yassified. same wax-styled mustache and everything), moms lifting and snatching massive barbells w their kids chilling in the stroller next to them. extremely casual atmosphere, but also so much control and structure and help.

and i’ve never had access to high quality equipment before, but the learning curve has no pressure on it so far. my very first day, the instructor made sure i was comfortable with everything and answered every single question i had and integrated me step by step into the rest of the class’s workout at my starting level to get familiar with using a barbell. it was really helpful and made me feel like i was part of the flow already.

i had to stop several times to make sure i wasn’t hurting myself (i have widespread nerve damage that means sometimes my lower body just. glitches and shuts down the connection to my brain’s intent and spasms for a bit and doesn’t do what i want it to do, and i lose all feeling so i panic bc i cant gauge where my body is—the litany goes on but basically i have many issues that crop up frequently during prolonged motion) but even when that happened it proved zero problem at all and no one noticed and i collected myself and got back into it and it was fine. modifications can be made for every move, which is something i learned with Pahla B workouts years ago, and applies here just as well, and i am stubborn in that optimism.

i was even feeling myself so much i wanted to try a box jump so i asked the instructor what the proper form was. she had me start by jumping on progressively higher stacked barbell plates just laid on the ground. and then i tried the box and i got it! and a bunch of people congratulated me or complimented my successful efforts and stopped after class to chat and introduce themselves which made it feel more team-like to me.

vibe seems to be: just do what you can, ask for help and guidance if you need it (i’m still new so i don’t know all the lingo or all the form cues yet but no one is looking at you making you feel scrutinized, everyone is just there to do their thing and they’re also super helpful if they walk by), and know that you’ll get better at everything you’re attempting w consistent attempt. which is just my basic philosophy anyway.

and ok yeah i’ve never been to a traditional gym before—well, i have a few times, and just never went back cuz i felt it was too polished for the likes of me lol (where i live is veryyyyy pretentious). the high gloss attitude truly just never appealed to me. works for some, just not me. in my area at least, everyone in traditional gyms are in some kind of coordinated outfit and are on their phones and taking videos and stuff (i really don’t like that aspect—i don’t consent to showing up in someone’s gym tiktok lol). so yeah especially these days, the feeling that there’s an image to be achieved in gyms just makes my skin crawl. and if i’m going to shell out for the price of any kind of gym membership, i’d rather it not be a place i get self-conscious in that i’m gonna be filmed or creeped on or something (my terror of men in gyms is well-founded).

so i opted for crossfit bc i’ve had family members who were sedentary and went and loved it and saw amazing gains. and everyone at the place im at is way too busy to be filming or creeping (so far). and i do def already feel like it’s built for functional improvement toward accomplished strength, not merely an image of strength. like, i played outside constantly as a kid and it reminds me of that feeling lol, not least bc of the open-air-warehouse-unit concept. i think im too scrappy to ever be a traditional gym person, but crossfit is totally my vibe so far. no one cares enough to judge what your deal is, which is prob #1 on my ranking of important qualities for a fitness facility.

and while my level of general fitness is what i would call really good, i’m still a total beginner to crossfit kinds of work, work with equipment at all, and i’ve NEVER done group gym classes. so my nervousness about not being amazing at something immediately (huge impediment in my life generally) was a biggie but has proved to be baseless. crossfit seems to has no time or attention for individual compulsive fears or momentary embarrassments. which i absolutely love.

but to answer your original question TL;DR—i think it’s tougher than anything i’ve ever seen! grizzlier by far if nothing else—definitely no frills (it’s refreshing to see no makeup yet!). everyone seems to be of a same kind of no-nonsense grit—dunno how to describe it. what i’m observing the experienced crossfitters doing looks wicked hard, but it’s still very accommodating for all levels of fitness to hone. as in, it looks like some of the hardest shit i’ve ever seen anyone do, but that’s what i will be working toward at my own pace, and it’s exciting.

one of the moms i mentioned earlier was snatching thee heaviest barbell weight in the entire class, even more than the men (i checked), like it was nothing and then she went checked on her baby in between like it was all nbd. i was like god damn girl that is so metal. where else are you gonna see that

so. that’s just my first impressions so far! i signed up for 10 classes to see how it goes so i will report back :)