001

[plasticasshole]

Who: Connor + Open!
When: During the full moons
Where: Around the city
What: Connor gets his Merrow tail... at the most inconvenient of times
Warnings: None so far!

[Connor is just walking back to his cottage when his legs stop working and he falls in the street. At first he's just confused- he doesn't just fall-, but then he realises he can't get back up. A little panicked, because this isn't normal, the LED on Connor's head flashes red as his legs begin to fuse together and form a bright orange and blue tail.

Why here? He isn't wet. He drags himself forward a few feet; he lives quite a bit further away, but what else can he do? Luckily someone seems to be coming his way. He sits up, hoping it's not someone who dislikes monsters.]

Can you help me?

[He gestures helplessly to his tail.]

Comments

[oceanschild]

Maybe if that starts to happen I can try to run for it? [But he doesn't think it will.]

...Could you use your device to speak to someone? [Paris has sort of figured out how to use it, but mostly to respond to things.]

[plasticasshole]

I could. Hank would come and get me if I asked him, I'm sure.

[He fiddles with the watch, and then sets it down.]

He's not very good with technology, so I'm not sure he'll see the message. But I've contacted him.

[oceanschild]

Mm. I'll at least stay for a while and hope he comes.

[So Paris will just... do that. And will go ahead and lay down next to Connor in solidarity. ...It probably looks a bit weird.]

[plasticasshole]

[It does look a little strange, but Connor glances over with a small smile before looking back up at the sky.]

I hope no Witches see me like this. I can't do much to protect myself right now.

[oceanschild]

Not all of them would do anything to us, right?

[He hopes not... just the mean ones who were picking on them when they got here.]

[plasticasshole]

No, not all of them. Some of them have been very friendly. I mean the ones that have been... unpleasant.

[To put it lightly.]

[oceanschild]

[Paris nods.] Mm. Maybe they won't bother us if we're together. [If Aeto was here then they really wouldn't bother them.]

[plasticasshole]

I hope not.

[Still, he really hopes Hank shows up soon.]

Have you settled into your new home?

[oceanschild]

[Paris nods.] Mmhm, mostly. It's very big. [He's not used to that all.] But I may try to make a garden...

[plasticasshole]

A garden sounds nice. Do you like gardening, then? I've never done it.

[Taking care of things appeals to Connor, so he wonders if maybe he should get a plant to look after.]

[oceanschild]

No, not really... we always lived on the beach so there wasn't much we could grow. But I know people further in town who grew things, so I hope I'll be able to figure it out.

[Besides, he likes to cook and bake, so growing his own ingredients would be nice.]

[plasticasshole]

I'm sure you will. I think if I can look after a plant, maybe I'll try to get a pet. I like animals.

[What kind, though? Maybe a fish?]

[oceanschild]

That sounds like a good idea. I've never really had to take care of either. [Aeto looks after herself.] What would you want to get?

[plasticasshole]

Well, it can't be a bird. Hank hates birds.

[He remembers when they had found Rupert's hideout, filled with dozens of pigeons. Hank had not been happy.]

I'm thinking maybe a fish. Or a lizard... something I can keep in my room.

[oceanschild]

How would you keep a fish in your room? [In the bathtub? Paris supposes that might work for some fish...]

[plasticasshole]

In a fish tank. It's an enclosure for fish, and you put water heaters and filters in it to keep the water warm and clean. You can decorate it with plants and various ornaments.

[Of course he'd read about how to care for a fish properly before getting one, he's not an irresponsible kind of guy.]

I would only need a small one, so I'm sure I could fit it in my room.

[oceanschild]

You can? [Oh... that sounds kind of nice, actually. And littler fishes wouldn't have to worry about being eaten, then.]

If you get one, can you show me how it works?

[plasticasshole]

Of course. That is, assuming they have them here... but I don't see why they wouldn't. If nothing else, the technology would be replaced by magic.

[Because why wouldn't people want to keep fish?]

[oceanschild]

[Paris nods, smiling a little. He hopes the fish would like their little home inside of a house.] Was it common back home, for you? What other things are kept as pets?

[plasticasshole]

It was quite common, yes. A lot of people own cats and dogs, and others own birds and lizards and small rodents. Dogs definitely seem to be the most popular, though.

[And he can see why. Dogs are great.]

[oceanschild]

[Paris nods.] Dogs and cats are pretty common where I'm from, as far as pets go... cats can catch mice and dogs can do many types of jobs.

[He's from too poor of an area to really have much exposure to lap dogs.]

[plasticasshole]

They can, but most people get them for company now.

[He wonders if Paris has ever seen tiny dogs, or if he's just used to bigger working dogs.]

Androids do most of the jobs humans don't want to do, at least back in Detroit.

[oceanschild]

[Paris almost asks if androids are like pets- but then he remembers what Connor first told him and wisely shuts up.]

Why is that...?

[plasticasshole]

Because that's what we were built for. To serve humans.

[It's said more as a simple fact than a biased opinion. At the end of the day, androids were made to do the jobs humans didn't want to do.]

And we're very good at what we do. Androids can be programmed to specialise in many different fields. We'll never be late, or call in sick. We don't tire, we don't need to take breaks to eat or sleep, and we don't have to be paid for our work.

[He hopes that all changes, though.]

[oceanschild]

[Paris frowns, taking this all in. In a way, that's not too different from how he understands machines, even though the ones he knows of are very, very different from what Connor explained to him. But that's part of the problem. Connor said they weren't just machines, so...]

But... you said you were like people, right? So why don't you need to be paid? Do you not need money?