Office Hours

[adminus]

[Compared to the other two, Oswald is much more difficult to get time with. He only appears on school grounds on Tuesdays and Sundays.

Nonetheless if you're determined... he can be found. Most of that time is spent hovering around the Faculty Office. It's almost like the Entrance Exam made him anxious of just walking around freely or something...]

Comments

[preconstruction]

[ connor looks down at his hands. he looks sad. but he doesn't have much left in him today to keep arguing. he doesn't know jules and he doesn't have the upper hand, and the feelings he has he cannot even talk about because they are all wrapped up in all of the awful things that have happened today. he has spent all day trying to be a machine, trying to go back. it hasn't worked.

he can't keep doing this. ]

I apologize, I didn't come here to argue philosophy with you. I obviously don't understand the nature of your relationship with him, I shouldn't speculate.

[ he doesn't sound sarcastic, just defeated. ]

[adminus]

...no, the fault is mine.

The truth is, when I started out on this path, I accepted that I was throwing away any chance at the relationship I had with him. Hoping for anything more was... too impossible.

So it was fine if I let myself self-destruct. I had nothing left to lose. I’m only interested in my goals.

[...that’s funny, considering the way he clings to some people. As if he wants to find a place for himself, while subconsciously destroying every chance he has for himself.]

[preconstruction]

You see that in Lieutenant Anderson.

[ which is extra ironic since he knows hank likes (???) him. which is wild since he's an android, but okay. ]

[adminus]

...yes.

So I suppose I’d like him to find a happier ending than my own will be.

[preconstruction]

I'm afraid that you might only hurt him.

[ after all, that's why he came here. ]

I made him me promise that he wouldn't throw everything away. That we have to get home together.

[adminus]

You mean the punishment?

[Mmmm yeah this seems like a safe turn in conversation awesome.]

[preconstruction]

Yes.

[ sure does doesn't it ]

[adminus]

...so you came to negotiate in his stead.

[He’d had an inkling that might be it.]

[preconstruction]

That's correct.

[adminus]

You are aware that the rule he broke was a rather important one, yes?

...but very well. I’m intrigued. If you really think you can sway me, then I invite you to try. It could be... entertaining.

[He seems amused, curiously eyeing Connor as if trying to figure out his angle.]

[preconstruction]

It was, but some would say that you didn't punish him at all.

[ connor knows better, of course, but it's an important point for the negotiation - how much could he care about the punishment if he was helping? ]

I'm afraid I don't know as much about you as I'd like to be a good negotiator. I don't know what I have that you'd want from me.

[adminus]

[Oswald rubs the bridge of his nose.]

You aren’t the first to think I was soft on him.

...Others would have had me kill him today.

[Naturally that was not... what he’d wanted.]

...Perhaps I need to take a step back— interacting with you all... I can see why Vivienne went down the path she did.

But I won’t make the same mistake. Not for you or anyone else. If it happens again, I’ll be the one who rips the life out of him. Know that.

[but he knows that Connor will protect him— Hank told him as much. As long as Connor was alive it wouldn’t happen again. As long as Connor lived he’d be okay.]

...I don’t think that will be an issue though.

Although... I must say I’m surprised. I thought you two were a thing for certain. And yet I hear you’ve taken a liking to your professor instead.

[preconstruction]

[ connor wants to say he's surprised, but he isn't. he'd told han that already. there was no way that hale would know that hank had hit han but somehow not know that han and connor had sex. it made more sense that they were being monitored constantly.

(of course, there is always the fear that it was han himself who told hale but he tries not to consider that.)

it's hard to address the rest of it when he's given an accusation like that, though. ]

Did "H" tell you that?

[ yeah the whole world saw your letter my dude ]

[adminus]

Yes, naturally Professor Han told me.

[He sighs and shakes his head. Why does Han have to play with his heart like this?

...well it’s fine. After all, it’s not like he expected anything to come out of it. He doesn’t need anyone after all.]

[preconstruction]

He didn't write the letter on your desk.

[ remember when connor came here to be nice like 10 comments ago its been a long day ]

You do know that, don't you?

[adminus]

I know nothing of the sort. And I find it interesting that you know so much more than I do.

[Well he’s not fond of being insulted.]

...you’ve gotten what you wanted. My foolish good will. Now take it and go, before I change my mind.

[So why does he sound so hurt?]

[preconstruction]

Wait, this is important.

[ he doesn’t sound angry, though, he sounds cautious. And like he really does want to help him. ]

I can — I can prove it, if you show me the program he nentioned in the letter.

[ he holds his hand out like he’s tying not to frighten a wild animal. ]

If someone else is lying to you about Han, that’s something you need to know.

[adminus]

[The thing about Oswald when he’s being an idiot though is that he is impossible to reason with.]

I think... you’ve helped me enough this evening.

[Get too close to the Apprentices and you’ll just get burned. He should know better. He DOES know better.]

Give both Mr. Anderson and the Professor my best. If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.

[preconstruction]

[ he’s going to at least try one more appeal - and boy does it sound emotional given his day today ]

You know he acts differently around you than in his letters — don’t you want to know why? Doesn’t it hurt to have to see that? If I’m wrong, then the worst that happens is that you’ll be proven right.

[adminus]

As a matter of fact, I don’t.

[He closes up his computer and starts packing his things.]

I would imagine it’s because it’s much easier to pretend to like someone in writing than it is face to face.

And either way— I don’t care if people lie to me or use me for their own ambitions. That. Is fine by me.

[preconstruction]

Oswald...

[ fuck, he's running out of time and this guy is only here twice a week. he runs desperately through his program, over and over again to figure out what he can say or do to try and convince him to just give him five minutes more but how does he even counter that last part what he is he even supposed to do with that. fuck. it's so much harder with everything today; with the way he's been battling himself and his program. it doesn't want to cooperate now that he needs it. shit, of course it doesn't

there's nothing rational or logical he can say so he tries something illogical; ]

Please.

[ desperate -- as if he needs his attention; as if nothing else mattered now except getting those five more moments. after all, hale desperately wants to be wanted, right? even if it's a lie. even if it's for the wrong reasons. ]

[adminus]

[Oswald immediately knows that he’s being played. And yet his heart twists all the same. Just as Connor wanted. It irks him to no end. He is but a means to an end— ah. But wasn’t that what he’d always told himself? Hahaha...

How nice to have someone tell him he’s right for a change.]

...fine. Do as you wish. But you won’t find anything. And when you’ve seen for yourself that I was right, then you can finally be done with me and go.

[He hands over the device that was given to him to install the program.]

[preconstruction]

I don't have a port for this. May I...

[ he nods over at hale's laptop. but his demeanor is still cautious, still playing to the idea that he's grateful that he has this at all and not trying to take more than he can. ]

[adminus]

[Now you want his personal computer too. Hah.]

...oh by all means, please. Help yourself.

[He's a bitter child. He'll stand back and let you do as you please with the thing.]

[preconstruction]

I’m not trying to make you upset. I want to help.

[ this is not bullshit, it’s true. Regardless of his feelings about Hale, it’s sad to think someone is lying to him when he so desperately needs someone to love him. And also he has enough people upset over his thing with han. He turns the pc back on since Hale had closed it earlier and inserts the device. ]