driftfleet | Libuscha IV System Mingle (no. 1)

[oh Connor, they already had the "he's an asshole" conversation. Ben grumbles something under his breath and squints down the street, like he's trying to see what the stores are selling or what the signs in front say]

The locals are circling again. [grumble grumble] Do you not realize you're being stared at?

Of course I do, it's been happening since I got here.

[Adaptation is his speciality.]

You're trying to avoid that?

[he snorts, keeping his eyes ahead on the stores still]

Yup. [he huffs out a noise] It's fine if they go after you, but if they turn on me I'm gonna cause a scene and I don't wanna get kicked off a planet.

[Matter of factly:]

Then you should probably bear in mind that it looks like you're strong-arming me against my will to go to another location.

[Connor is utterly unbothered by Ben's behaviour, but his purpose as a detective sure is flagging how the physicality of all this appears.]

[Ben glances over and down, eyebrows furrowed - oh, right. He lets go, almost like he forgot he did it in the first place]

Anyone ever tell you you're a smartass?

[He rearranges his scarf, since it's covering up his tie and he can't straighten that.]

Not specifically, no.

So I'm the first? I feel special now. [he shoves his hands in his pockets] Also? I doubt I could actually strong-arm you. Just putting that out there.

I wouldn't have let it get that far.

[There would have been a very brief altercation, Ben's legs getting kicked out from under him then being thrown bodily by the arm into a wall. That would have been the most effective option of several, without the use of firearms. Connor keeps walking, checking out the same store signs Ben was looking at earlier.]

You've answered this partly before, but what do you spend your credits on? Other than technological supplies.

Man, don't say it like that. At least make it sound like I'd put up some fight.

[he doesn't sound serious, because look - he's not dumb enough to try to strong-arm an android, especially not one made specifically to work with police. Connor doesn't have to list off what he's capable of for Ben to consider what implications that comes with.

At the question he gives a shrug, squinting at another sign]

Just stuff I need. Necessities, clothes, the basics. I'm not a - I don't really pick up stuff I'm not gonna use, you know? I'm not a material guy. Why?

I never suggested you wouldn't.

[And Connor's not infallible, he's made mistakes before. There's only so much accounting for human behaviour. As far as letting Ben drag him around if he didn't want to, though? He wouldn't have gotten that far without protest.]

Just out of interest. I've started getting some as well and I don't know yet what I'll do with it.

[Sure, Connor's used the company tab to buy things like taxi rides and drinks for Hank. But that was all tallied up as part of work expenses, and it wasn't his own money.]

Could've fooled me.

[he makes a thoughtful noise, slowing his steps as they pass by one of the stores he was eying before. He tilts his head towards Connor]

More new territory for you? [...] Only impulse buy I've made is like, I adopted a dog not too soon after I got here. So like, if you like animals - [a shrug] Lot of planets got 'em. It's a thing here. On the Fleet, I mean.

[Connor's immediately more interested.]

What kind of dog do you have?

[Ben carefully keeps a straight face and does not laugh]

I think it's a Shiba? Or some alien version of it, anyway. His name's Gent.

[Note to self, seek out alien dogs immediately and investigate how they differ from Earth dogs. Connor does smile a bit at that.]

I haven't seen many dogs before besides the Lieutenant's. He has a St Bernard.

[the noise he makes is not a laugh, it's just a puff of air and if it sounds amused, well, shut up]

Aren't those the like, big hairy ones? I've only seen pictures. [...] I've got a German Shepherd back home, that's why - [he gestures, the real reason why he gave into adopting a dog here] - though I got her when she was fully grown and Gent's still a little thing. Maybe I'll sic him on you and you can tire him out. I sure as hell can't.

Yes, they're quite big. [Although Ben is severely overestimating Connor's experience in what to do with dogs, it's a nice offer.] I'd like to see him sometime.

[he snorts] You're welcome to come over whenever you want and see him, just give me a head's up first. He loves attention.

—okay, this one. C'mon. [this time he does not manhandle Connor into following him, but he does duck in before Connor can answer, cuz, well. It's fucking cold]

[That was abrupt, but he's already started factoring that sort of thing into Ben's behaviour. That seems to be how the man rolls. Connor pauses for a moment outside before following Ben into the shop, shutting the door behind himself.

Finding himself face-to-face with racks of knit sweaters and coats, Connor raises his eyebrows at Ben.]

You're looking for clothes?

[Connor will quickly learn that without some kind of plan in mind, Ben is kind of an abrupt disaster. He pulls his hands from his pockets, shaking out the flesh one, like that'll warm up it up]

I mean, you could look too. Unless you wanna walk around dressed like that all the time.

[Connor blinks, having not given much thought to his clothes so far. Other than the locals' constant reminders about not being dressed warmly enough.]

Well, I don't have to. [It's a musing thought. He turns to the nearest rack, plucking at a sweater's sleeve experimentally.] I haven't given it much thought.

[he hums in response, circling around Connor to another rack with heavy coats]

Bet there's a lot you haven't given much thought to. [another thoughtful noise] Could just focus on like, necessity shit. You know what you wanna do while we're stopped here?

[Given his clothes were regulation back home and he had only about a day of freedom before arriving, it was very low on his priority list. He moves to the next sweater, taking note of the different colour and knit density.]

There isn't much that I need that I don't already have. [Namely, a functioning body and thirium at decent levels. Connor frowns, dropping the price tag on the sweater as he looks across the room at the windows.] I want to see as much of this place as possible, and learn about the other species present.

[That's very investigation-y, but that's how he rolls.]

I also want to find out what that chiming noise in the background of all the transmissions here is.

[Ben can appreciate the investigation-y part of it, you can take the detective out of the city and all, etc, etc. He turns to lean on the rack Connor's looking through instead, careful not to knock it over]

Can I make a suggestion, then? Like, absolute minimum: get a coat, we talked about why, and get a pair of boots. You can't run around a snow planet in loafers, Connor.

[He listens to all of that before letting out what could only be described as a huff.]

Yeah - I've worn snow boots before, I know the difference. [Just putting that out there.] I do want to go further out so both of those things would help with that.

If it's November in Detroit for you then you've probably been buried under snow at least once already, so you should know. [he's exaggerating, mostly, but even so he nods and turns back to the rack of coats he was looking through earlier]

But there - two things on your necessities list. [a pause, and he turns to look at Connor over his shoulder] Do you - uh, need anything maintenance-wise? I mean, you probably wouldn't find it here, but -

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