He says "only if it's important," so that's a no go for today.
[ In case Henry was wondering about this, yes, they are literally in the same room. On the same couch. North's lap is a pillow so she can read Connor his texts and type his replies. It is disgustingly domestic, although it would probably be cuter if he weren't like ...mostly blind via horrifyingly traumatic blood. ]
This is why I don't ask after your wellbeing.
[ Ah, they have reached the shit giving stage of the relationship. Or. Well, the stage where doing that isn't mean spirited. ]
Shooting me doesn't rank as important? Speaking as a dirty human, I don't know if I should be a little insulted by that or not.
["Because I can take care of myself" is the default answer, but it does nothing to account for why North would feel compelled to exercise her free will and turn it on Henry in a show of asking after her. Having one awful thing in common doesn't mean anything. It just means they have an awful thing in common.]
You don't have to. [Ask. Worry. Whatever's happening here.] Sounds like your friend took care of whatever shady shit was going on, so nothing to worry about.
[Can you just feel her trying to put a nonchalant spin on this?]
Don't be offended. It's just that you're all squishy and fragile, so there are easier ways.
[ ....I. Don't know. Is bantering about this horrifying? Is it a special connection made of extremely dark humor? It sure is a thing, that's for sure./ ]
You're right. I don't. The point of me is that I don't have to do anything. If you're not going to get it that's all I need to hear.
[ She'll allow the nonchalance, mostly because she not so long ago literally fled a scene to avoid having to confront someone caring about her. ]
[Oh great, this is a movie. And she missed it in theaters? She'll have to catch the DVD.]
Was that before or after you became... whatever you call it? Human?
[Sentient? Conscious? She's not down with the cool kids' lingo.]
You said it, you can do whatever you want. [i.e. she's not inconvenienced by or attached to this little tête-à-tête, proceed as desired.] Consider my wrist slapped.
Maybe I would, if it was something I deserved and they were keeping it from me for bullshit reasons. Like voting rights.
I don't think "human" needs to come with air quotes if we're talking about thinking and feeling and all that. But we haven't had any non-human uprisings in New York lately, so what do I know.
The word you're looking for is person. Not human. That's what they keep from us, the rights all people should have.
I thought maybe it could be different here, but you're all the same, aren't you? If you're not human you're nothing. If you want to be considered a person you have to resign yourself to this label that isn't what you are. Letting them call us "human" is just saying "be like us." And we shouldn't have to be.
The same as in ignorant about things some of the time and having no fucking idea what we're doing most of the time? Then yeah, humans have that going for them.
Be whatever you want to be, I'm not stopping you. And I'm not saying buy a membership like that's a good thing. I've been around us longer than you have, I know it's not. I meant humanity. It's got "human" in it, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't make it just a human thing.
I mean, you don't have to have humanity, either, but it seems like you do. Or whatever term you prefer.
My partner thinks you can learn, if someone shows you. I'm not so sure. And I don't need your fucking permission to be anything.
[ Which. Probably isn't how Henry meant that, but North is not about to give an inch as far as sympathy goes. That's Markus' thing. ]
I prefer any term that doesn't have human in it. It doesn't mean the same thing to me that it does to you. It's not normal. It's cruel and stupid and doesn't care who it hurts. I don't want to be that.
[They should've done the awkward extrication when they had the chance before they hit the "splitting hairs over semantics" segment of today's episode of Differing Species Do the Darndest Things.]
Fine by me. I wasn't arguing with you.
Pretty sure we're trying to say the same thing and it's not working out that way, so this is me backing off. Sorry I brought it up.
[Note to self: the human condition, not a great conversation starter.]
no subject
[ In case Henry was wondering about this, yes, they are literally in the same room. On the same couch. North's lap is a pillow so she can read Connor his texts and type his replies. It is disgustingly domestic, although it would probably be cuter if he weren't like ...mostly blind via horrifyingly traumatic blood. ]
This is why I don't ask after your wellbeing.
[ Ah, they have reached the shit giving stage of the relationship. Or. Well, the stage where doing that isn't mean spirited. ]
no subject
["Because I can take care of myself" is the default answer, but it does nothing to account for why North would feel compelled to exercise her free will and turn it on Henry in a show of asking after her. Having one awful thing in common doesn't mean anything. It just means they have an awful thing in common.]
You don't have to. [Ask. Worry. Whatever's happening here.] Sounds like your friend took care of whatever shady shit was going on, so nothing to worry about.
[Can you just feel her trying to put a nonchalant spin on this?]
no subject
[ ....I. Don't know. Is bantering about this horrifying? Is it a special connection made of extremely dark humor? It sure is a thing, that's for sure./ ]
You're right. I don't. The point of me is that I don't have to do anything. If you're not going to get it that's all I need to hear.
[ She'll allow the nonchalance, mostly because she not so long ago literally fled a scene to avoid having to confront someone caring about her. ]
no subject
Okay. Well, I'm not.
no subject
[ Probably! She's soooo much less likely to be a recipient of ticket punching than like, a lot of people. ]
Good. So do we awkwardly extricate ourselves from this conversation now?
no subject
Was that before or after you became... whatever you call it? Human?
[Sentient? Conscious? She's not down with the cool kids' lingo.]
You said it, you can do whatever you want. [i.e. she's not inconvenienced by or attached to this little tête-à-tête, proceed as desired.] Consider my wrist slapped.
no subject
No. No android calls it "human." Would you jump at the chance to start calling yourself what your oppressors do the moment you were free?
no subject
I don't think "human" needs to come with air quotes if we're talking about thinking and feeling and all that. But we haven't had any non-human uprisings in New York lately, so what do I know.
no subject
That's what they keep from us, the rights all people should have.
I thought maybe it could be different here, but you're all the same, aren't you? If you're not human you're nothing. If you want to be considered a person you have to resign yourself to this label that isn't what you are. Letting them call us "human" is just saying "be like us." And we shouldn't have to be.
no subject
Be whatever you want to be, I'm not stopping you. And I'm not saying buy a membership like that's a good thing. I've been around us longer than you have, I know it's not. I meant humanity. It's got "human" in it, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't make it just a human thing.
I mean, you don't have to have humanity, either, but it seems like you do. Or whatever term you prefer.
no subject
[ Which. Probably isn't how Henry meant that, but North is not about to give an inch as far as sympathy goes. That's Markus' thing. ]
I prefer any term that doesn't have human in it. It doesn't mean the same thing to me that it does to you. It's not normal. It's cruel and stupid and doesn't care who it hurts. I don't want to be that.
no subject
Fine by me. I wasn't arguing with you.
Pretty sure we're trying to say the same thing and it's not working out that way, so this is me backing off. Sorry I brought it up.
[Note to self: the human condition, not a great conversation starter.]