increaseinstability

[ It turns out that the arcade attendant doesn't have to visit Connor a third time, because Gavin ends up walking in shortly after. ]

No, [ he answers, as if there's any chance that was an actual question and not a rhetorical one. ] I was anticipating your arrival.

You're early, [ he adds, with the slightest tilt forward of his head. ] I hope that means we were both looking forward to this. [ Connor still hasn't really perfected smiling, but moments where it's genuinely triggered are certainly easier than attempting to mimic it on command. There's the slightest tilt to his mouth that may, in fact, be a smile. ]

[ Oh what the fuck? Gavin really tries to not think about how Connor is actually really cute and it's very annoying and here he is just giving him the faintest little smile. Fuck. Phck.

Gavin crosses his arms and huffs. ]

I live close by and didn't want to be late. I wasn't born in a barn, y'know. [ Despite his behavior. ] You didn't have to wait outside, you coulda gone in.

[ Sidestepping that little insinuation there, thank you... ]

This is meant to be a shared experience. [ Listen, Gavin, Connor knows how to have fun. He read all about it this morning in preparation. He's got this. ] I wanted us to go in together.

[ And now they can, since Gavin's shown up. Connor's hands are at his sides now and he turns but then waits, clearly expecting to follow Gavin. ]

Did you have a particular game in mind? [ Maybe something with lots of quick time events? ]

Oh. [ Well that's... polite, he guesses. He rubs the back of his neck, has the brief thought of how did I get myself into this mess and starts to follow Connor. (Who still walks like he's got a stick up his ass most of the time.)

He shrugs and slips his hands into his jean pockets. ]

I mean, you've never been to one of these places before. I still say House of the Dead is hilarious. [ There's a big kiosk for the old House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn game in the corner. He wasn't really allowed to play most games as a kid, but when he went off to college he'd get taken around to arcades and bars. ]

Then we can start with that. [ Connor looks out at the room. For a place that has nothing except what is essentially furniture, it still manages to seem very crowded.

It's still difficult to miss the logo that matches what Connor has searched for via his own wireless connection. He begins heading towards it, trusting Gavin also knows the way and will follow. ]

Many of these games seem to be built with the option of two players. [ Including the one they're headed towards, obviously. ] Do you often come here with friends?

[ He snorts. ] You think I have the time?

[ ...no, we're trying not to be a dick, Gavin, remember that. He shrugs his shoulders as they approach it. Ah, yeah, they need credits don't they? There's another little station pretty close to it. ]

Just when I was in college.

[ And Gavin doesn't really have friends, either. Chris, yeah, but he's married and has a kid now. Not a lot of bar hopping happening anymore. ]

This is the second time you've mentioned being too busy for your intended recreational pursuits. [ Said with, perhaps, the slightest amount of gathering 'let me give you unasked-for life advice' energy. ] Have you considered taking a vacation?

[ In the meantime, though, Connor sees where Gavin is looking - towards the ancient machines used for exchanging real money for game tokens - and he considers it a moment. ] Splitting the cost seems most fair.

Or is it more appropriate for the one who invited the other to pay? [ That, at least, is actually a joke. Because this isn't a date, so it's funny to treat it like one! ]

[ Well jeez Connor, don't be so practical or anything. He just kind of shrugs his hands and does an 'eeeh' gesture. ] Wouldn't that be like admitting defeat?

[ Gavin you have issues. And need to sleep more and drink more water, which he's starting to do marginally better about.

He scoffs and rubs the back of his neck, which prickles with mild embarrassment. ] We'll split it, it's fine. [ Gavin digs out his wallet and pulls out one of his cards. ] Funny they still use tokens. Bet you'll getta kick out of that.

Enforcing a healthy work-life balance is not admitting defeat. It's been shown to benefit human mental and physical health. [ Which might sound a bit programmed, might have too much data-speak in it, but it's sincere.

And also not advice Connor follows himself. Both of them are equally prone to coming in early or staying late, a fact Connor has registered as not fitting with the rest of Gavin's careless persona.

A kick out of that? ] Why?

[ Asked from a polite and not at all obnoxious distance, right by Gavin's elbow. ]

[ He's a man of many contradictions that's for sure. He just gives him a look and doesn't continue the 'take a vacation' thread of conversation.

He looks down at that incredibly pointy elbow then back up at him. Gavin fiddles a finger. ] Y'know. Your coin thing.

[ Careful, Gavin. If Connor decides you're really actually friends instead of just not-strangling-each-other coworkers, he might start nudging you with that pointy elbow. ]

Coin thing? [ Asked innocently. He also produces said coin in an instant, because of course he's got it in his pocket. The CyberLife jacket might be gone, but that quarter sure isn't. ] It's just for calibration. [ He explains, helpfully. ]

[ Oh no not the pointy nudges of friendship. Gavin wouldn't know what to do with that. (Would he ever even admit they were friends, down the road? Who can say.) ]

Yeah, the coin thing. [ He watches him take it out, not surprised at all. ] Calibration, huh? Mental or physical?

Both. [ Connor looks and sounds pleased to answer. It's hovering close to glowing, honestly - somewhere between that and smug. His facial muscles aren't entirely sure how to interpret the warm burst of satisfaction that comes from Gavin asking a personal question that isn't needling or rude. ] It assists with dexterity and concentration.

[ Connor rolls it over his knuckles and catches it back in his palm. ] I could teach you, if you'd like.

Uh huh. [ Yeah it's definitely a face that's for sure. Gavin isn't quite sure how to take it, but he guesses it means he's in a good mood. Hurray for Gavin, not pushing someone away with his personality like usual.

His tricks are pretty cool, he can admit that. ] Nah. That's your thing, wouldn't want to be a copycat.

[ He finally steps up to the little token kiosk and purchases a few, then sliding down to the tray at the bottom with a nice little nostalgic clattering sound. Gavin grabs them and shoves them into his pockets. ]

Alright. [ Connor can accept that answer, even if it doesn't entirely make sense. Plenty of humans teach each other the same basic dexterity tricks.

Connor watches Gavin - from slightly within what would be most peoples' personal space bubbles - and looks from Gavin's pockets up to the little plastic cups that are stacked on top of the machine. When it's his turn to pay for his own coins, he uses a cup. Like a civilized robot. He's not a savage like Gavin, apparently. ]

What's a skill you possess that you enjoy? [ If it sounds like a non sequitor, don't worry, because Connor's already explaining: ] Since you asked me about my calibration coin.

[ Gavin's such a bad boy heathen. Why do you think he usually wears a leather jacket? He just watches Connor and sort of... awkwardly moves to a slightly less bubble popping position. ]

Huh? Oh. [ He shrugs. ] I can play the piano. Don't do it much. [ He shakes a fisted hand, the few tokens in his hand making a jingling sound. It seems he only then realizes that he'd just... said that. So he makes a face and turns to walk towards the arcade cabinet. ]

[ If Gavin listens very, very closely, he might be able to hear the symbolic filing cabinet labeled 'Gavin' opening up in Connor's android brain. A new file titled 'Hobbies' is begun. ]

If you enjoy it, why don't you partake in it often? Or is that also due to your lack of free time? [ He follows Gavin towards the suggested game, although he abandons following him to instead pick up and examine the closest prop gun once they're near it.

He looks up, expression serious. ] These are not very accurate weapons, [ he reports, as if he was expecting anything else from a plastic gun. ]

[ Ugh, god, he can't believe Connor's attempting to know him. And he's kind of letting him. What he hell!!

He shoves a few tokens into the machine. ] Pretty much. [ He's not going to bring up that it was his grandmother's and that it's been hard to touch since she's been gone. He can't get rid of it, but he can't bring himself to use it either. He just tends to it and keeps it from gathering dust.

He snorts at Connor's comment about the guns. ] Well, yeah. Don't need kids thinking real guns are toys. You know how many mass shootings there were when I was a kid?

Yes. [ Said in a tone that removes the need for Connor to say of course. He knows the exact amount of mass shootings, and considers reciting it. He cancels that vocal command at the very last moment.

Instead, he decides to try for a better option. One that's less about impersonal data. Connor places tokens into his own side of the machine, lines himself up in front of it, watching Gavin for examples of what to do to get started. ]

Were those statistics related to your decision to become a police officer?

[ Gavin uses the toy gun to get through the menus and the game starts. A hilariously badly voice acted cutscene opens the game before the zombies appear. There are tutorials on the screen, so Gavin doesn't feel the need to explain.

But that is a question that actually gets him something approaching thoughtful. ]

Maybe not intentionally. [ Pew pew, zombie guts everywhere. ] Hearing about shootings and violence and shitty cops. Makes you wanna do it better than the adults who were letting you down.

[ He's always been a touch arrogant. (Runs in the family.) ]

[ Connor reads the directions on the screen. He also pulls up an internet search for House of the Dead: Scarlet Dawn + gameplay. He fully intends on winning this game.

Maybe arrogance is a shared trait between the two of them. ]

You saw that a job was being done poorly, and so you wanted to...make sure it was being done correctly. [ Connor hasn't played any other video games, but he's pretty sure this is not a good one. The voices are not very believable. The plot is thinner than Gavin's temper.

Connor looks over at Gavin for a moment, still firing at fake angry zombies on the screen, because he gets to go ahead and cheat with weird android reflexes and peripheral vision that doesn't get blurry like a human's does. ] Do you believe you've been successful in that mission?

[ Sorry, is this supposed to be casual? Connor's just going to keep asking deeply personal life satisfaction questions until he's certain he and Gavin are sufficiently bonded. Connor isn't quite sure what that will feel like or look like, but he's very willing to go barreling full-tilt into the attempt. ]

[ Hey, maybe they'll get a bunch of tickets for a high score. He'll even let Connor pick out a tacky prize. ]

Yep. [ It's all he says at Connor's statement, as they continue to mow through the zombies. Neither of them have gone down yet, amazing. He could never beat one of these games without using all of his tokens when he was younger.

Now that's a question. Gavin's silent for a moment as the boss shows up. Pew pew, zombie guts. ]

To an extent. [ He works his jaw, licking his teeth. ] Put away enough corrupt cops for most people to hate me, so hey. Doin' something right.

[ Connor is finding it increasingly difficult to decide which is more necessary to give his attention to: the fake zombies whose guts keep exploding in improbable ways, or Gavin's facial expressions. This game is making it difficult to bond. Or perhaps it's enhancing it, and Gavin wouldn't be this honest if Connor were able to stare at him. Connor can't be sure.

He'll just need to stare at Gavin later while asking him further questions, to compare. ]

I don't believe that's the only reason people have...disagreements with you at the station. [ #burn ] But I am impressed at your ability to look past the fact that they are your colleagues and report any illegal behavior you find.

[ Connor himself is a snitch who's lucky to not have needed too many stitches for it, so he genuinely appreciates this tidbit about Gavin. It makes him seem more...trustworthy, if Connor had to put a word to it. ]

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