#dbhcarolsandcircuits

[frankedz]

"Having an Ice day"

For @connor-sent-by-cyberlife's Winter event Carols and Circuits,

Prompt: Ice Skating

[connor-sent-by-cyberlife]

Ho Ho Ho - I bring prompts for you

Welcome to my sixth Detroit: Become Human Prompt Challenge. In celebration of December and all the winter holidays here is another whole month full of prompts that will hopefully inspire you to get creative.

It will take place from December 1st - 31st, 2021.

As always, I hope for lots of participants and I can't wait to see what you guys come up with this time. Let's get cozy and festive! Or use the prompts in any other way that comes to your mind ;). You know I'm simply happy to see them being used no matter how.

Prompts:

December 1st - Wednesday: snowman

December 2nd - Thursday: ice skating

December 3rd - Friday: childhood memories

December 4th - Saturday: holiday shopping

December 5th - Sunday: A Christmas Carol

December 6th - Monday: snowed in

December 7th - Tuesday: eggnog

December 8th - Wednesday: holiday traditions

December 9th - Thursday: sharing a blanket

December 10th - Friday: mittens

December 11th - Saturday: Christmas firsts

December 12th - Sunday: hot beverage

December 13th - Monday: mistletoe

December 14th - Tuesday: decoration

December 15th - Wednesday: winter wonderland

December 16th - Thursday: I'm not wearing that

December 17th - Friday: obligatory Christmas photo

December 18th - Saturday: scarf

December 19th - Sunday: Christmas tree

December 20th - Monday: nightmare before Christmas

December 21st - Tuesday: lonely

December 22nd - Wednesday: greeting card

December 23rd - Thursday: last Christmas

December 24th - Friday: Christmas Eve

December 25th - Saturday: Christmas morning

December 26th - Sunday: leftovers

December 27th - Monday: cozy

December 28th - Tuesday: when the lights go out

December 29th - Wednesday: fireworks

December 30th - Thursday: New Year's Eve/New Year

December 31st - Friday: New Year's resolutions

Information and Rules:

The tag for this challenge is #dbhcarolsandcircuits (thanks to @veilder who came up with the name when I struggled to find one). Please use this tag for any of your contributions and follow it in case you want to see what other people do with the prompts

Any kind of art or writing is most welcome

You’re free to choose any character or ship from the D:BH fandom (no OCs) you like

Show/Write what you want, but please make sure to tag your content correctly, so people who don’t want nsfw/gore/a specific ship/whatever on their dash don’t have to see it

Don’t bash anybody for their chosen ship or content!

You can contribute more than one piece per day

Of course you can pick single prompts from the list, you don’t have to do all of them if you don’t want to

If you can’t finish a submission in time, you can always post it belated

Not a rule, but I’d really appreciate if you’d tag me ( @connor-sent-by-cyberlife ) if you contribute something to this challenge

Reblogs to bring attention to this challenge would be highly appreciated

If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask

Thank you for your interest and support!

[veilder]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Hank Anderson & Connor Characters: Hank Anderson, Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Sumo (Detroit: Become Human) Additional Tags: Good Parent Hank Anderson, Father-Son Relationship, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, discussions of mortality, Planned Obsolescence, the existential nightmare that is Frosty the Snowman, (not as crack-y as the previous tag makes it seem), CyberLife (Detroit: Become Human) is Terrible, Hopeful Ending Summary:

Every once in a while, Hank would catch Connor staring off into the distance, seemingly unaware of his surroundings until Hank prodded him. He would stall out looking at the decorative arrangements on the desks at work, at the ornaments hanging in the stores, even gazing out the window on their way to a crime scene. And Hank was starting to worry. Connor may be strange here and there and new enough to the world that he still needed to stop and marvel at it from time to time, but this whole… obsession was getting a little out of hand.

Especially since Connor only ever seemed to hone in on one thing in particular.

“So what’s the deal with the snowmen?”

  Things aren't always as they seem. Connor's preoccupation is more than just a funny quirk. And Hank will be damned if he loses another son.

[mnictasbcl]

Deserve

Here is my next story for @connor-sent-by-cyberlife‘s #dbhcarolsandcircuits challenge, prompt DEC 9: Sharing a blanket.

Relationships: Hank Anderson & Connor

Characters: Connor, Hank Anderson

Tags: Fluff and Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Swearing, It started fluffy and now they’re crying, Self-worth issues, Hugs, Hank is best dad, Happy ending

Summary: On the night of Christmas Eve, Connor, excited for his first holidays, can’t sleep. He goes to Hank for help and more feelings are spilt than they were expecting.

 Read it on AO3! Or, read below!

Anticipation was the most predominant emotion Connor felt on Christmas Eve. That, along with mingling excitement and happiness. It was his first holidays as a free android, after all.

The build-up to the day had been eventful. Throughout the month they’d been holiday shopping, putting up decorations, parties at work and with his friends at Jericho… now, the fateful day had almost arrived.

He was also confused. Not entirely sure what the day would entail, despite having asked Hank enough times about his festive traditions.

“Uh, wake up. Do gifts and shit. Pig out on food and fall asleep on the couch.”

The description was simple, yet still boggled his mind. The events of the day sounded normal but yet—

He still thought about it often. So often, in fact, that it consumed the entirety of his mind once he got into bed and shut his eyes.

Christmas. What would it be like? Would he enjoy it? Would he and Hank have fun? And Sumo, of course. Would Hank like the gifts he’d gotten him? Would it be just as fun as all of the seasonal activities they’d done throughout the month?

His eyes flicked open. He groaned, pushing himself up in bed. His mind wouldn’t shut up. So excited for the next day that it wanted that day to be right now.

Even turning on the white noise machine Hank had gave him a while ago for insomnia didn’t work. This… didn’t feel like insomnia, anyway. Not in the usual sense, where he was stressed or scared from a nightmare. This wasn’t that. Then, what was it?

 That question bothered him too along with the rest of the noise, so it wasn’t long before he got out of bed and walked down the hallway, tapping against Hank’s bedroom door.

“Mm… who is it?”

Connor nudged the door open with his foot. Inside the room, Hank fumbled for the light switch.

“Oh. What’s got you up?”

“I…” He then stopped, frowning. What would he say? That he couldn’t sleep? That suddenly sounded very childish in his head.

“…came in here to watch me sleep?”

Connor spluttered. “No. I just… never mind.” He turned to leave, but—

“Get back in here. I know something’s up, don’t try and pull that shit on me.”

He sighed, walking back into the room.

“Spill it. C’mon, I won’t judge you.”

“Fine. I… can’t sleep.”

“Oh. Uh, s’it nightmares again?”

“No. See, it’s stupid. It’s just…”

“Oh. Ohhh, wait a second. I think I know. You just—can’t sleep?”

“Exactly.”

“Is it ‘cause it’s Christmas tomorrow?”

“Maybe. I don’t know! I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s not that I’m stressed about it. My stress levels are actually very low right now. But…”

“Come over here.” Hank, now sitting up, patted the spot beside him on the bed. Once Connor was seated, he continued. “I know what you mean. Cole… he used to get like this on Christmas Eve. It’s nothing to worry about. You’re just excited, that’s all.”

Connor stared at him. “I’m… not a child, Hank. I don’t—”

“Blah, blah, blah. It’s your first Christmas. You’re allowed to be excited. Doesn’t make you a child.”

“Well… it still doesn’t make sense. I know that Christmas is tomorrow. It won’t be long.”

“Yeah, well, emotions don’t make a lot of sense. You know that by now.”

“…okay. I guess I understand what the problem is now. I’ll—”

But before he could get off the bed, Hank held up his hand.

“You don’t have to go. Still haven’t solved the problem, have we?”

Connor looked at him, confusion evident on his face.

“If you go back to bed right now, what’re the chances you’re gonna fall asleep?”

“I’m… unsure.”

“You’re not, are you? But don’t worry. I know a trick.”

He gestured to the covers, pulling them back.

“You’re… going to give me your blanket?”

Hank groaned.

“No, for fuck’s sake. Come on. You can sleep in here tonight.”

“Uh…”

Hank stopped, looking away and thinking hard. “…or maybe that’s weird. Sorry. Fuck, I…”

“It’s not weird. I just—you don’t want me laying beside you. That’s…”

Connor stopped as well. He knew well enough what the problem was. He was close with Hank, sure. But he’d never been so close to someone, to look up to them as a father figure of sorts, so close he might share a bed with them to calm himself down on Christmas Eve night.

“I don’t deserve that.” Is what he finished with.

Hank stared at him, blinking hard. “Don’t… deserve what? The hell are you talking about?”

“Why do you care so much, Hank? You’ve sacrificed so much to take me in and spend this holiday season with me… I don’t…”

“Don’t ever say that.”

He looked across to Hank; now seeing his eyes were wet, glistening with unshed tears.

“Don’t you ever say that about yourself. Please, Connor, those fuckheads at Cyberlife might’ve made you think you were never goin’ to have a normal life. But you are. You have one. And you… You deserve it, alright?”

Connor nodded, taking the edges of the cover in his hands. “Okay.” He conceded. “Alright. I appreciate the offer. I—”

His words cut off as he was wrapped in a hug. He smiled, closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath.

“You deserve everything.” Hank repeated. “You deserve the best fuckin’ Christmas tomorrow, alright? I’ll pull myself together.”

“You do too, Hank.” He replied.

“Yeah, alright. Alright.”

And they sat like that for a while longer, until Hank’s back started aching and they had to pull apart.

“How about we calm down and actually get some sleep tonight?”

“Sounds like a plan.”

[fadedflame]

Carols and Circuits Day 2

Detroit: Become Human Prompt Challenge from @connor-sent-by-cyberlife

Summery:  Hank’s confrontation with Connor on the rooftop ended badly. Certain the fall had killed him, the last thing he was expecting was the kid to show up on his doorstep a year later. Traumatized and falling apart at the seams, Hank doesn’t know if there's anything he can really do to help the android. But he sure as hell is going to try.

Day two - Ice Skating

Words-1125

< Previous Chapter / Next Chapter >

Ao3 or

Connor looked like he had been run through a wood chipper. That was Hank’s first thought when he took a good look at him. Not that he was at all surprised. The android had apparently survived a fall that should have killed him.

“What were you doing at my house,” Hank asked. It sounded cold, even to him, but it wasn’t like they had parted on good terms.

“I wanted to see Sumo,” he responded simply.

Connor wasn’t looking at him, choosing instead to watch the various people who were milling about. After he had caught him at the window and was sure the fucker wasn’t going to take off running or something, they had made their way to the park a few blocks down to ‘talk’. But Hank was at a loss as to what to say and Connor didn’t seem eager to fill the silence.

In a word, the whole situation was tense.

“And the snowmen?”

Connor shrugged, but only with one shoulder. Hank wondered if there was something wrong with the other one. “He seemed to like them.”

“Fair enough,” Hank conceded. He leaned forward, bracing on the railing that overlooked the park’s outdoor ice rink. People paid them no attention as they skated by. “So, you’re alive,” he observed lamely.

“As much as I can be.”

He hated the short, vague answers, but couldn’t really blame him. If that’s how this was going to go, he’d deal with it. “Deviant?” he pressed.

Connor responded with a short nod, but not much else. He seemed focused on anything besides him, eyes darting between anything that moved.

Or, eye really.

Hank had no idea what all had happened to the android, but he wasn’t in good shape. He walked with a limp, a slight clicking noise audible with each step. He favored his right arm, so he figured there was something up with his left. But the most concerning was the side of his head.

There was a crack running through Connor’s LED and Hank was sure it was broken. It pulsed a dull red, in and out steadily for a few seconds before flickering erratically then repeating the pattern. The crack split and extended beyond the light, visible even under his synthetic skin. It formed a branching path leading directly to his right eye and down his cheek.

The eye itself was dull and colorless. He didn’t need to waste his breath on asking whether or not it was functional.

Hank bit his lip before voicing his next question, already fearing the answer. “When’d you deviate?”

He wasn’t looking at Connor, but could feel him tense even more than he already was. He wrung his hands, plastic scraping against plastic as he occupied them with the nervous motion. He hadn’t noticed before that they were bare white, hairline cracks decorating the surface. “Not soon enough,” he answered at last.

He had no doubt Connor was talking about their confrontation on the roof. That had been the pivotal point for them, where they veered off course and went straight to hostile where they once could have called themselves friends. Hank had endured more sleepless nights than he cared to admit remembering that encounter.

If it had just been the fight, that would have been one thing. But how it ended…

“It was when I dropped you, wasn’t it?” It hurt even to ask, but he needed to know. The look that had been on Connor’s face, the way he had called his name just as he fell out of reach... it had haunted him.

Connor watched intently as one of the skaters fell, laughing as her partner helped her back up. “Does it matter, Lieutenant?”

“Yeah, it matters, Connor,” Hank insisted. He was getting frustrated. Yes, they had parted in about the worst way possible, but he was trying here. The kid was giving him nothing to work with.

Connor kept stubbornly quiet which did nothing for his mood. “For fuck’s sake,” he groaned under his breath. “You’re not making this shit easy. You’re the one who came to see me, you know.”

“I came to see Sumo,” he corrected. He glanced to the side, making eye contact with him for the first time that afternoon before averting his gaze again. “You were an unfortunate mishap.”

Ok, well that hurt. Hank bit down on his tongue to stop himself from cursing the kid out. It only somewhat worked. “Alright fine, I get it. I’m sorry I dropped you, ok?” More sorry than he was willing to admit. “But for the record, it’s not like you weren’t trying to kill me.”

“CyberLife felt you were in the way, I had no choice,” Connor said dryly, as though that made it all better.

Hank rolled his eyes. “You, CyberLife, same fucking thing.”

Connor turned suddenly, his full attention now on him. His one working eye was wide. He opened his mouth as though he were about to speak then shut it again, teeth coming together with a click.

Hank realized he’d fucked up as soon as Connor moved. He turned away just as fast as he had turned towards him, body language clear that he intended to leave without another word.

“Hey, wait!” Hank called, trying to stop him. When Connor didn’t respond, he reached for him, grabbing his wrist.

“Don’t touch me!” Connor screamed. He pulled violently, freeing his hand from Hank’s grip. The force set him off balance and his feet slipped on the slick sidewalk. He hit the icy ground hard.

“Shit, you ok?” Hank acted on instinct and reached out again, attempting to help the android up.

Connor swatted at his hands frantically. “I said don’t touch me!”

“Sorry, I was just trying to help!” He said defensively.

“Well don’t,” Connor snapped back. “Just let me fall, you’re good at that!”

He may as well have punched Hank in the gut, it would have hurt less.

Normally, after an attack like that, Hank would have retaliated. He would have thrown back something equally harsh and happily fed into the aggressive spiral.

But Hank had been a cop long enough to recognize a trauma response when he saw one.

"I'm sorry," he said, keeping his voice as even as possible. "I won't touch you, I'm sorry."

Connor was breathing heavily. If he wasn't panicking already, it was damn close. The broken LED maintained it's pulsing. For the first time, Hank questioned whether or not his damages were entirely from the fall.

And for the first time, it didn't matter.

"It's ok, I'm not gonna touch you." Hank didn't give a fuck how tense their relationship was at this point. He was going to make damn sure nobody hurt him again. "I promise."

[oh-fortheloveof-ra9]

Whanted to reblog this behind schedule for @connor-sent-by-cyberlife 's Carols and circuits for December 8th: holiday traditions. Part 3 of a 3 part fic. All you need to know is that Connor and Gavin went out patrolling, got into some trouble, grudgingly worked together, and while doing so Connor lost his memory when they were attacked.

Enjoy and Merry holiday!

Gavin is stuck in Detroit for Christmas, away from family due to his injury. Lucky for him, Connor happens to be a pretty great Santa Claus. 

In Whoville they say, Connor’s Android heart grew three sizes that day! No ships just grudging mutual respect. And dare I say it? A little Christmas Miracle.

The finale to The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

“Take these.”

“What are they?” Gavin grumbled, annoyed.

“Pills that you need to take.” Connor answered flatly.

“Shut up.” Gavin mumbled, grabbing a few pills, stuffing them into his mouth then grabbing the opened Gatorade and gulping them down. “What’s that?” Gavin asked, pointing a finger at the bag under Connor’s arm. Connor held out a bag of Gardetto’s mustard pretzels.

“Holy shit.” Gavin barked. Connor looked at him quizzically. “Give me those!” he demanded.

[frankedz]

"Frosty"

For @connor-sent-by-cyberlife's Winter event Carols and Circuits, Day 1: Snowman

[frankedz]

"My Time Machines"

For @connor-sent-by-cyberlife's Winter Event Carols and Circuits Day 3: Childhood Memories

[frankedz]

"Sold Out"

For @connor-sent-by-cyberlife's Winter Event, Carols and Circuits

Day 4: Holiday Shopping

[frankedz]

"Three Fates of Deviancy"

For @connor-sent-by-cyberlife's Winter Event, Carols and Circuits Day 5: A Christmas Carol

[frankedz]

"Fresh Static Snow"

For @connor-sent-by-cyberlife's Winter Event, Carols and Circuits Day 6: Snowed-In

[mnictasbcl]

Break the ice

Here is my next story for @connor-sent-by-cyberlife‘s #dbhcarolsandcircuits challenge, prompt DEC 2: Ice Skating.

Relationships: Connor/Markus, Hank Anderson & Connor

Characters: Connor, Markus, Hank Anderson, North, Josh, Simon

Tags: Fluff, Romance, Slight hurt/comfort, Blood and injury, Oblivious, Kissing, Devolves into crack, Ice skating, Swearing, Dad jokes

Summary: Markus invites Connor and Hank to come ice skating with the people of New Jericho.

North takes this as her opportunity to get Connor and Markus, oblivious as ever, together.

 Read it on AO3! Or, read below!

When Connor was invited to the New Jericho ice skating event, he didn’t know what to say. At first, he’d believed the invitation had been sent to the wrong person.

“Pretty sure it’s for you. Got your name on it and everything.” Hank disagreed.

“No, they wouldn’t invite me. This is for the ‘friends of New Jericho’. I… haven’t been much help to Jericho in the past.”

“Yeah, and then you fuckin’ deviated and freed hundreds of those androids at the Cyberlife tower.”

“But… I haven’t helped out much after the Revolution.”

“Aren’t they your friends?”

“Uh… yeah…”

“Then it’s for you.”

Connor turned the invitation card over. “It says I can bring someone with me.”

Hank stared at him, disgruntled expression betraying his thoughts.

“If you think you’re gonna see me skating on ice…”

“You could just come as company? Moral support? You don’t have to skate.”

“m’ sure they don’t want a grumpy old human coming.”

“No, I’ve told them about you. I’m sure it’s fine.”

     Hank ended up coming along with him but brought Sumo, so he’d have the solid excuse of not joining in with the ice skating. Sumo proved to be a hit amongst the New Jericho androids.

Connor, meanwhile, pulled on his skates and stood at the entrance to the hired ice rink.

“Connor! Over here!” North waved to him from the middle of the ice.

He hesitated, putting one foot onto the ice. It slipped beneath him, and he held his arms out to both sides to steady himself. He brought his over foot onto the ice and skidded again, thirium pump beating hard in his chest.

A moment later he heard the scratch of skates on ice as someone came over to him. He looked up and saw Markus holding out his hand to him.

“Need a hand, Connor?”

“I believe I don’t know how to ice skate.” He replied, taking Markus’ hand but not moving. “I thought it would be simple.”

“It is.” Markus assured him. “You just have to get to grips with the basics. I’ll teach you.”

“Oh, no, no, I’ll hold you up. I can download some instructions on how to skate—”

“No, I’d rather you experienced it like we did. It’s fun, I promise.”

Connor looked into Markus’ warm eyes and smiled, eventually conceding.

“Okay. But if I fall on my ass…”

Markus gasped dramatically. “Connor, what has the Lieutenant been teaching you?”

“Expletives.” Connor chuckled, attempted to skate forwards to get closer to Markus, and like he warned, fell on his ass.

Immediately the other android knelt down to help him up as he nursed his injured backside.

“Be careful, Connor. Here, let me guide you around the rink…”

So, Connor let him, holding onto his hand and onto the edge of the barrier with the other, slowly being guided through the steps of skating. At first his feet skidded on the ice, legs bowing inwards and outwards as he became acquainted with the slippery surface. But soon he became surer of himself, staring down at Markus’ legs and watching the way they moved. Lean muscles pushing him forwards, back and forth, graceful and floating over the ice.

Staring too long, he fell forwards again, but was quickly caught by strong arms.

“Make sure you watch where you’re going, Connor.”

He flushed a bright blue and nodded, hoping Hank couldn’t see him right now. He’d never hear the end of it.

Because learning with Markus was useful, except for the distraction of his overwhelming crush on the man. Ever since that fateful night on the ship where he’d helped him deviate, and then in the church where Markus had placed his hand behind him and stepped in close, telling him to be safe…

He was gone. But, troubled with surfacing into the world of emotions and being alive, he’d not known how to act on these feelings. Maybe that was why he hadn’t visited too often, scared of what he felt. And besides, he reminded himself: the deviant leader, possibly liking back the ex-deviant hunter?

He scoffed.

“You were doing so well. Is something the matter?”

“No, I… was just distracted momentarily. Please, let’s continue.”

He put on an extra effort to focus on learning to skate, and it wasn’t long before he was moving much more confidently on the ice, no longer having to grip the barrier beside the rink to stop him from falling. Slowly they skated back towards the middle of the rink together to join their friends.

“Well done, Connor. I think you’re the fastest of us all to learn.”

“I’m sure you did better.”

“Not by far. You’re a natural.”

“No, you are.”

“No, you.”

“Just kiss already!” North interrupted, startling them both. “What?”

Connor laughed awkwardly and stepped away from Markus, twirling a short circle on the ice. “North, I’m—”

“Yes, North, we were just… skating. Why, why would we…”

“Right. Just skating. Well, Connor, could you come and skate with me for a moment?”

Connor nodded wordlessly and followed after her.

North brought him to a stop on the far side of the rink, folding her arms.

“So, I might have been too abrupt. But I mean what I said. We all know you’re pining for each other.”

Connor laughed.

She frowned. “Connor, if you’re going to treat it as a joke… Markus deserves to be treated right.”

“Oh, no, I’m not laughing at that… it’s the idea. North, why would we be pining for each other? Plural? Markus doesn’t like me like that.”

She stared at him. “Shit, you’re both as bad as each other. North, oh, Connor would never feel that way for me, now I need to go and do leader-y things—”

“Why are you doing that with your voice?”

“I’m being Markus.”

“If you want to imitate Markus, just say it like this.” He perfectly replicated Markus’ voice for the last few words.

“What the fuck, Connor.”

“…I’m starting to think that might just be a me feature.”

“You think? Don’t do that again. And certainly don’t do that with Markus.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“Just… be yourself. Go skate together again, start a conversation, break the ice.”

“Okay.”

He nodded awkwardly, skating back away to come back to the group.

“Connor.” Josh welcome him back. “Me and Simon were going to go and get snacks. I’m sure you and Markus will be okay alone, right?”

“R-right.”

“Of course, Josh. Why are you winking?” Markus laughed.

Josh choked, dragging Simon away from them and muttering under his breath.

“Everyone seems very strange today.” Connor commented, before holding out his hand. “Care to skate?”

“Of course.” Markus took his hand.

They took of across the ice, starting off slowly, unfamiliar with skating techniques but soon picking up the speed, twirling shapes around on the surface with graceful ease. People parted before them on the ice as they broke apart, moves synchronised. But soon the tempo changed: Markus moved on his own, staring at Connor as he leapt into the air, span around, and landed again.

He raised his brows, taking the challenge. Perhaps this might impress him, although he would have to try hard to beat the android leader in fluid movement. He tried nonetheless, briefly mapping out preconstructions of different moves, dismissing each as not quite good enough, until he finally found one. Something red flashed in his vision as he selected this move set, but he blinked it away.

Instead, he started with a flourish of his arms, then leapt high, high into the air, cartwheeling mid-jump, legs poised out, one foot sharply back down to land on the ground—

And cut through the ice in one motion. Blade of the skate stuck in, he kicked backwards and fell on his face.

“Connor!”

He groaned, bracing his hands against the ice and feeling the cold sting of thirium trickling down his face.

“I’m okay. I’m…”

“You’re bleeding.” Markus was kneeling beside him, turning him onto his side and cradling his face in his hands. “I think you landed on your nose…”

“Not the face… I believe I’ve been stupid, Markus.”

“No one would have known that the blades would be fast and sharp enough to cut the ice—”

“No, I knew that. I believe I ignored the warning from my preconstruction.”

“Connor, why would you do that? You could’ve—you are hurt!”

“I think I was trying to impress you.” A blush on his cheeks matched the trail of blue blood down his face. “But there was no use.”

“Well, before you fell… I thought it was very impressive.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Oh. Well—”

“Connor, Jesus fucking shitting Christ—the hell did you think you were doing?”

“Lieutenant Anderson.”

“Oh, hi, Markus. And please, call me Hank.”

“Hank, I can explain…”

“You’re bleeding. Take you out ice skating of all places, and you’re bleedin’. Do you need the android first aid kit?”

“You have that?”

“It’s in the trunk of my car.”

“Oh…”

“That would be great, thank you Lieu—Hank.” Markus answered for him.

Hank grunted, walking back off to the car, grumbling all the while.

“Sorry about him. He worries.”

“I understand his concern. Why did you think impressing me was worth putting your health at risk?”

“I…” he looked down, suddenly very interested on the crack in the ice. “I thought you might notice me, then.”

“Notice you? I can see you right now, Connor.”

“No. Not like that. Notice me… uh, romantically.”

“Oh.”

“Yes, and I know it’s stupid, because why would you—”

“I already do.”

“What?”

“Notice you romantically, Connor, as you put it. I… well, I find it better not to always express my feelings in words…”

Markus held out his hand in offering, skin peeling away, white chassis glinting.

Connor nodded, accepted his offer, brushing his hand against his. He immediately felt the warmth, an overwhelming affection, he flashed back to the night in the church but from another perspective, looking into his own eyes and feeling awe and determination—flashing forwards into the success of the Revolution, seeing himself leading the androids, hundreds of them freed, and the feelings getting stronger.

Immediately, he tried to reciprocate, send back his own memories and feelings, the complete and utter desire to be around Markus more, to have that sort of closeness he’d never experienced with the one he loved.

Their hands fell away, connection fading, instead culminating in their embrace as they pulled close together, lips meeting in the middle.

This kiss was short-lived when Markus spluttered thirium out of his mouth.

“I forgot that you were bleeding…”

Connor chuckled, resting his forehead against the other’s. “I’m sorry. I forgot too.”

Someone stepped up behind them and they jumped apart, seeing that it was North, bringing Hank’s first aid kit to them.

“Your friend said he couldn’t come on the ice without skates again. I think he really mean that you two should get a room.” She laughed, placing the kit beside them. “Anyway, good job on talking things through… although you did take my suggestion to ‘break the ice’ a little too literally, Connor.”

Connor rolled his eyes, reaching across for the first aid kit. “I’d be mad at her, but she pushed me to talk to you.”

“I guess we owe her one, then.” Markus replied, taking the kit off him, pulling out a wad of tissues and pressing them beneath his nose, dabbing the blood away. “So, along those lines… you could say today, that you fell for me?”

Connor groaned. “Please, I get enough dad jokes from Hank as it is.”

“Good, I’ll get along with my boyfriend’s father, then.” Markus then stopped, eyes widening as he realised what he’d said. “Uh, I mean, not to take things too quickly, I’m getting ahead of myself…”

“I’d like to be your boyfriend too.” He smiled.

“Good. Then I need to think of more dad jokes…”

[connor-sent-by-cyberlife]

Only two more weeks to go!!!

Ho Ho Ho - I bring prompts for you

Welcome to my sixth Detroit: Become Human Prompt Challenge. In celebration of December and all the winter holidays here is another whole month full of prompts that will hopefully inspire you to get creative.

It will take place from December 1st - 31st, 2021.

As always, I hope for lots of participants and I can't wait to see what you guys come up with this time. Let's get cozy and festive! Or use the prompts in any other way that comes to your mind ;). You know I'm simply happy to see them being used no matter how.

Prompts:

December 1st - Wednesday: snowman

December 2nd - Thursday: ice skating

December 3rd - Friday: childhood memories

December 4th - Saturday: holiday shopping

December 5th - Sunday: A Christmas Carol

December 6th - Monday: snowed in

December 7th - Tuesday: eggnog

December 8th - Wednesday: holiday traditions

December 9th - Thursday: sharing a blanket

December 10th - Friday: mittens

December 11th - Saturday: Christmas firsts

December 12th - Sunday: hot beverage

December 13th - Monday: mistletoe

December 14th - Tuesday: decoration

December 15th - Wednesday: winter wonderland

December 16th - Thursday: I'm not wearing that

December 17th - Friday: obligatory Christmas photo

December 18th - Saturday: scarf

December 19th - Sunday: Christmas tree

December 20th - Monday: nightmare before Christmas

December 21st - Tuesday: lonely

December 22nd - Wednesday: greeting card

December 23rd - Thursday: last Christmas

December 24th - Friday: Christmas Eve

December 25th - Saturday: Christmas morning

December 26th - Sunday: leftovers

December 27th - Monday: cozy

December 28th - Tuesday: when the lights go out

December 29th - Wednesday: fireworks

December 30th - Thursday: New Year's Eve/New Year

December 31st - Friday: New Year's resolutions

Information and Rules:

The tag for this challenge is #dbhcarolsandcircuits (thanks to @veilder who came up with the name when I struggled to find one). Please use this tag for any of your contributions and follow it in case you want to see what other people do with the prompts

Any kind of art or writing is most welcome

You’re free to choose any character or ship from the D:BH fandom (no OCs) you like

Show/Write what you want, but please make sure to tag your content correctly, so people who don’t want nsfw/gore/a specific ship/whatever on their dash don’t have to see it

Don’t bash anybody for their chosen ship or content!

You can contribute more than one piece per day

Of course you can pick single prompts from the list, you don’t have to do all of them if you don’t want to

If you can’t finish a submission in time, you can always post it belated

Not a rule, but I’d really appreciate if you’d tag me ( @connor-sent-by-cyberlife ) if you contribute something to this challenge

Reblogs to bring attention to this challenge would be highly appreciated

If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask

Thank you for your interest and support!

Please also check out my #dbh advent calendar project. I'm still looking for a few more participants to make it happen.

[mnictasbcl]

Snow-sonas

Here is my first story for @connor-sent-by-cyberlife‘s #dbhcarolsandcircuits challenge, prompt DEC 1: Snowman. Enjoy!

Relationships: Connor & Hank Anderson

Characters: Connor, Hank Anderson, Sumo

Tags: Fluff, Snow, Swearing, Connor swears

Summary: Connor wakes up and sees that it’s snowing. But he doesn’t think of Amanda anymore: he thinks of making snowmen.

 Read it on AO3! Or, read below!

When Connor woke up, his scans detected a drastic drop in outside temperatures. Whilst the weather didn’t affect him as severely as humans, he did shiver and pull the blankets up to his chin.

It seemed strange for things to have changed like this overnight, and he feared the worst as he pulled open his bedroom curtains—

And saw snow coating every surface outside.

Of course, it had snowed. He’d experienced it briefly during November, falling onto his shoulders as he stood by Detroit bridge, watching Hank drink. As things picked up with the androids’ fight for their rights, it began to settle. But then warmer temperatures had come back for a while, a short reprieve, making it easier for everyone to drive back into the city.

And now it seemed the snow had returned. Perhaps it might have bothered him, had it been falling in a raging blizzard, but it seemed almost peaceful outside, settled in a thick layer yet untreaded by footprints. He was determined to change that.

Hank wasn’t up, given it was fairly early on a Saturday morning, so he took Sumo out with him instead, walking around the front of the house and smiling as the big dog bounded off, diving headfirst into the snow.

“We’ll have to clean you up before taking you back in, or Hank’ll lose it.”

Sumo boofed, completely ignoring him as he rolled around in the snow.

Connor chuckled and walked to the other side of the front pathway, set on his own activity: making a snowman.

It seemed simple enough. Constructing it from two rolled balls of snow, the top one smaller than the other, for the head. This task was easily enough done, but only left him with a misshapen blob.

Gesturing for Sumo to follow behind him, he walked back into the house and searched around for what he needed. But it only took a moment before he was almost back out, and…

“Oh, shit.”

He’d forgotten to dry the dog off before briefly coming back inside. Wet footprints lay as evidence from the front door to their long pathways across the house.

“They’ll dry. Right?”

Sumo barked and ran back out the door.

“They’ll dry.”

 Now, with the right materials in his arms, Connor got to work. Stuck in the carrot nose, a pair of rocks off the ground for eyes, and, more difficult, lots of twigs for a beard. Finally, he placed the jacket over its form and stepped back. It was complete.

“What do you think, boy? Will Hank like it?”

But he couldn’t get away from the fact that something was missing. In the end, he laboured to make another, slightly smaller snowman beside the finished one. One more journey back inside and out again, and he’d completed the second.

“There we go. Looks perfect. Now, we just need to wake Hank.”

 As would be advised, he walked around the outside of the house, found his bedroom window and knocked loudly on it. With the front door open, he could hear the swearing and waited patiently until he saw the curtains swiped open.

“The fuck are you doing out there?”

“Good morning, Hank. I have something out here to show you.”

Hank gave him a look. “Outside?”

“Yes.”

“Right. It’s… not something dead, is it?”

“What?”

“Just, with how you lick shit all the time… Wouldn’t be surprised if you were like a fuckin’ cat and brought me dead shit to look at. You know?”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

Hank studied him closely, then sighed.

“Can I have my coffee first?”

“It will only be a minute. Then, I’ll make your coffee for you.”

“Fine. But I’ll make my own coffee, thanks. You almost killed me with the last cup.”

“I’m sorry, you said to make it ‘really strong’! I was just following instructions.”

Hank flipped him off and closed the window. Connor wasn’t sure whether he’d just got back into bed, but then, it was obvious he was making his way through the house—

“The fuck are all these pawprints all over my goddamn floor! God, I go to sleep and this is what happens… those two…”

Connor met him sheepishly at the doorway.

“Apologies for the mess inside. Sumo came in with me after going outside, and—”

“Whatever. You’re cleanin’ it up. Now, what are you showing me?”

Connor nodded, quickly moving to the snowmen.

“These! I have never made snowmen before. As it snowed last night, I gave it a go…”

Hank came to stand beside him, scratching his chin as he looked at the pair.

“Are they meant to be us?”

Connor beamed. “Yes! You’re the one with your jacket on, and the beard—”

“The pissed off looking one?”

“Exactly. And I’m the other one.”

“The one with blue blood all over his mouth…”

“That was a mistake. I cut my finger on the rocks for his eyes, so I accidentally contaminated the snow.”

“Lovely.”

“So…” Connor glanced briefly to him, trying to assess his expression. “Are they… adequate snowmen?”

“Sure. Look great. I like how mine is taller than yours, ‘cause it’s true.”

“They do?” He asked, ignoring the last part of what Hank said.

“Yeah, kid, they do. Now let’s get back inside. I’m freezin’ my ass off out here.”

Connor nodded, running back inside. “I’ll make your coffee!”

Hank groaned, took one last look at the snowy versions of themselves, chuckled, before stalking back inside after the android.

[fadedflame]

Carols and Circuits Day 8

Detroit: Become Human Prompt Challenge from @connor-sent-by-cyberlife

Summery:  Hank’s confrontation with Connor on the rooftop ended badly. Certain the fall had killed him, the last thing he was expecting was the kid to show up on his doorstep a year later. Traumatized and falling apart at the seams, Hank doesn’t know if there's anything he can really do to help the android. But he sure as hell is going to try.

Day eight - Holliday Traditions

Words-1118

< Previous Chapter / Next Chapter >

Ao3 or

Hank spun his keychain around his finger happily as he made his way to the front door. He honestly couldn't believe Jeffery caved. Guy must have a bigger soft spot for him than he lets on.

Or, maybe he was just worried about Connor too.

Either way, it didn't really matter. He was on half time and could focus on giving the kid the holiday season he deserved.

He opened the front door, not at all surprised at the sight before him.

"Welcome home, Lieutenant," Connor greeted him from his place on the couch. He had a book open on his lap. A different one than this morning, of course, the kid was a fast reader.

"Hey," he said in response, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him.

Sumo looked up from where he had his head resting on the couch by Connor's leg. He whined, expressing his displeasure to Hank that his new friend still refused to pet him. Hank gave him a good scratch behind the ears. "You two have fun while I was gone?" He asked, directing the question to the dog.

"The day was mostly uneventful," Connor responded, since Sumo couldn't.

He gave the St. Bernard's head another rub before returning his focus to the android. "You spend the whole day reading?"

"No," he looked back at the book perched on his knees. "I also watched some TV."

"Living the dream there, huh?" Hank joked.

Connor shrugged with his good shoulder, then closed the book. "Is there something else you would recommend I do to occupy my time?"

"I might have some ideas," he said casually. "We're supposed to be celebrating Christmas, right. We should do some holiday shit."

"Like what?"

Hank scratched at his chin remembering some of the things he used to do with Cole. "Well, I think Detroit still does their winter carnival. That could be fun."

Connor shifted uncomfortably. "That sounds… crowded."

"Ok, yeah," Hank admitted. That probably would be too much for him. "But there's still lots to do in winter. Sledding, ice skating. You've already got snowmen down."

Connor glanced out the window as though contemplating the outside environment. "It's really not necessary, Lieutenant," he insisted. "I'm content to stay inside."

"But that doesn't push you," he countered. He didn't want to stress Connor at all, but he did need to ease his way out of his comfort zone.

The android looked at him, his expression best reflecting a fearful understanding. “You’re right, I…” he sighed, a soft clicking making Hank worried there was something wrong with his lungs. “I know. But could we attempt to avoid large gatherings? At least for now?”

Hank joined him on the couch, sitting far enough away so as not to crowd him, while still being able to give Sumo attention. “Of course. I’m not gonna make you jump in head first or anything. We said we were gonna take things slow.”

“Thank you,” he said. Connor’s bare fingers ran along the cracked spine of the book absently and Hank found himself wondering for the millionth time what was stopping him from getting repaired. Could he be repaired?

“Of course, kid,” he told him kindly. “I’m sure we can find some holiday traditions that don’t involve a shitload of people.”

The kid smiled his appreciation and looked as though he was about to return to reading, satisfied with their conversation. Hank wasn’t so ready to let the subject drop though.

“Hey, I’ve got one,” Hank announced, remembering one of his traditions that would likely not be too much for Connor.

“Oh?” he asked, not looking up yet, but there was a note of curiosity in his voice.

“Yeah, something I used to do with Cole,” he said. There was the dull ache in his chest that always came when he thought about his son, but it was manageable. “At least for a couple years, when he was old enough. We called it ‘gift guessing’, but that really doesn’t describe it well.”

Connor set the book to the side giving him his full attention. Hank counted it a personal win that he had managed to intrigue the android. “Alright, what is it then?”

“Simple, really,” Hank explained. “Something I came up with to help get rid of ‘guessing’ what someone wants for Christmas. Basically, both of us give a one word category and the other gets them some shit that relates to it.” Cole had been easy. Every year, he just said ‘dinosaur’.

A look of panic crossed Connor’s face. “Lieutenant,” he sounded ashamed. “I… don’t have any money.”

“You think a six-year-old did?” Hank laughed. “Don’t worry about that. Picking it out is the important part. We should probably get you set up with a bank account though, it'd be good for you to start building some credit.” He had an old account from back before his divorce that he was pretty sure was still active. It better be, there was still money in it. He could probably put Connor on as a signer on that until they got him one of his own.

Connor, however, didn’t look sold on the idea. “If you pay for it, how would it be a gift?”

“Ever hear the saying ‘it’s the thought that counts’?” God, what would it take to get the kid to loosen up. “Look, you’re taking this way too seriously. It’s not some big thing, just a stupid little tradition to try and put a smile on each other's faces, alright?”

“Alright,” Connor agreed after a moment. “I suppose it would be beneficial in facilitating growth in our relationship.”

Leave it to the kid to make it sound simultaneously awkward and robotic. “There you go,” he said, choosing not to tease him about it. “Here I’ll go first. How about you get me something to do with… basketball?” That was simple enough, it shouldn’t be too hard for him.

“I think I can manage that,” Connor replied. If Hank didn’t know he didn’t have internet access anymore, he’d think the kid was already running google searches in his head.

“How about you?” he prompted. “What sort of shit do you want for Christmas?”

Connor was silent for a long moment and Hank had a sinking suspicion that it wasn’t often that the kid was asked what he wanted. That was going to change if he had any say in the matter.

“Fish,” he said finally. “I like fish.”

The response honestly surprised Hank. Dogs would have been his guess, maybe books. He had no idea the android had an affinity for fish.

Maybe this really would help them understand each other better.

“Alright, fish it is,” he said with a smile.

[fadedflame]

Carols and Circuits Day 5

Detroit: Become Human Prompt Challenge from @connor-sent-by-cyberlife

Summery:  Hank’s confrontation with Connor on the rooftop ended badly. Certain the fall had killed him, the last thing he was expecting was the kid to show up on his doorstep a year later. Traumatized and falling apart at the seams, Hank doesn’t know if there's anything he can really do to help the android. But he sure as hell is going to try.

Day five - A Christmas Carol

Words-1232

< Previous Chapter / Next Chapter >

Ao3 or

The ride back was filled with a tense silence. Connor was in no mood to bring up his episode and Hank didn't want to upset him more. But they would need to talk about it eventually.

Connor was unbuckling and pushing the car door open before he could even turn off the engine. He all but ran to the door, only slowing his steps as he seemed to realize he couldn't get in without Hank.

He considered taking his sweet ass time and making the kid wait, but decided against it. As frustrating as this all was for Hank, the kid was overwhelmed.

"Down, Sumo," he told the dog as soon as the door opened. The St. Bernard whined, but obeyed, still not understanding why his new friend refused to pet him. He let out a sad boof before sulking to his bed. Connor had a regretful look, but made no move to touch him.

Hank should have known better than to take him to a busy shopping center when he couldn't even handle petting the damn dog. They really needed to talk about this.

"Connor-"

"No," he cut him off. "I know what you're going to say. I don't want to talk about it."

Hank shook his head, closing the door behind them. "Well too damn bad. We need to talk."

Connor's expression turned almost pleading. "Why? You know I'm broken. I'm handling it."

"Like hell you are!"

He could see the steady red pulsing of the LED where the hat had rolled up. Unchanged, giving no clue as to Connor's mental state. "I don't need to discuss anything with you," he said evenly.

Hank sighed, reigning in his frustration. He sat on the couch heavily, hoping Connor would join him. "Look, I know, alright? I know you don't owe me shit. But I'm trying to help you here. I can't do that if you don't talk to me."

"I never asked for your help," Connor stated, but he sat on the far side of the couch, relaxing minutely.

"I know you didn't," Hank acknowledged. "But you're here now, and I want to help. Trust me, I do."

When Connor spoke again, his voice was just above a whisper, like he was afraid of how Hank was going to respond. "I don't," he admitted.

Hank frowned in confusion. "Don't? Don't what?"

He met his eyes and there was a note of fear in them. "I don't trust you."

It hurt, but Hank couldn't say he was surprised, he had almost killed the kid after all. But it didn't leave him much room to work with. "Ok, that's fine," he took a breath. "I… don't blame you there."

Connor looked away again, both working and sightless eyes downcast. "I don't trust anyone."

He spared a glance at Connor's broken form trying not to wince in sympathy. "Something tells me you've got a damn good reason for that," he said. "Look, I'm not asking you to trust me. I'm just asking you to let me help you."

There was that damn calculating look again. Silence passed between them and, for once, it seemed that Connor hadn't arrived at a decision. "What exactly are you proposing?" he asked finally.

"I'm saying," Hank sighed, relieved the kid was at least going to hear him out. "That you don't have to tell me what happened to you. Not if you don't want to. But Connor," he looked him in the eye to make sure he was paying attention. "You've gotta be honest with me about your triggers. No more of this 'I'm fine bullshit. I can't help you out if you're keeping me in the dark."

Connor's expression fell, but it looked more like he was upset with himself than anything else. "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you, Lieutenant. What happened… that shouldn't have happened. I shouldn’t have reacted so strongly."

"There is no 'should've' in a situation like this, Connor," he said softly. "Look, I know I've only seen a snapshot of what you've been through, but even that was pretty fucked up, and I sure as hell didn't help. There's no manual for this shit. You react how you're gonna react."

"I..." Whatever argument Connor had planned died on his lips before it escaped. He looked down again with a pained expression. "Lieutenant, I don't… I don't want to react like that. I… want to trust people, I want to trust you. I just..."

"Don't?" Hank finished for him. "That's ok. You don't have to be ok. If you want, we can work on it together."

For the first time since he had seen the kid again, his face looked almost hopeful. "How?" he asked softly.

Well, that Hank had no idea about. He wasn't a shrink, he had no clue how to start helping the kid heal. But there was no way in hell he was going to let Connor know that. He was taking a big step letting Hank try to help and he was damn well going to do his best not to let the kid down. "We'll take it slow, play it by ear. Ease you back into shit, ok?"

Connor looked like he had a question, that he was going to ask for clarification on something, but stopped short when a sound reached them from outside.

A Christmas carol filled the silence between them.

Connor stood, going to the window and pushing the blinds away with his jacket sleeve. He stared for a moment at the carolers making their way down the street before Hank came over to join him. He made sure to leave a few inches of space between the two of them.

"Started early this year," Hank observed as the sounds of Silent Night filled the street with various voices.

"Why are they singing?" Connor asked, much to Hank's disbelief. Then again, maybe wherever Connor had been this past year had been like Detroit. Too unsettled from the revolution to celebrate. Maybe he'd never experienced them before.

"They're Christmas carolers," he answered, with a soft chuckle. "They usually go door to door and sing for people. Must be just walking the streets this time."

Connor watched them a moment longer before speaking. "It's… nice," he said at last.

"Yeah it is," he agreed, an idea forming even as he spoke. "You know, maybe that would help. Getting your mind off of shit."

"What do you mean?" His eye continued to track the progress of the carolers as they went.

Hank reached up to scratch at his chin. "I just mean, maybe we could both benefit from some Christmas cheer. We celebrate together, Anderson style. Maybe that'll take some pressure off and let you adjust more naturally."

Connor considered the suggestion. The Carolers switched to 'We Wish You a Merry Christmas' before turning the corner and fading out of earshot. "I've never celebrated Christmas before," he admitted, though it was no surprise to Hank.

"It's not like it's hard." Hank raised his hand to pat Connor on the shoulder, but stopped himself just in time. He lowered it to his side, hoping the kid didn't notice. "We'll put up some decorations, a tree, all that shit. Might be nice."

Finally, Connor turned to look at him again. There was a hesitant curiosity in his eyes. "I think… I like the sound of that."