[Rather than respond verbally to that, at least at first, he shifts his hold at the back of Connor's head and leans back just enough to kiss him. After considering the idea that he might not get to again (or might have to come to some pretty uncomfortable diplomatic negotiations in order to again) it's just nice to be able to casually press his lips against Connor's.]
[Once he's done lingering there, he doesn't even move properly enough away to say-] I don't want you to do that again either. [Spoken right against his mouth.]
[There are dogs and Magnezones and various other monstrosities gathering in there to greet the familiar Connor too, but Hank's busy commandeering his attention. They can wait, thanks.]
[Connor presses a quick kiss back to Hank's lips after he speaks, reaching up to thread his hand through his hair. Then he sees Odette waddling over out of the corner of his eye. She's been good about not pecking Hank's ankles recently, but he bets that'll change if he's seen to be getting in the way of her having Connor's attention.]
I missed you.
[He lowers his hands and smiles up at Hank.]
I can show you how much later. For now though, we need to talk about Jack.
Oh? [Hank lets go of Connor somewhat reluctantly. It sounds like a serious topic, from the tone. At least that gives Tubbs the chance to jam his huge head in for petting, because he's missed Connor too. Really he's not even technically been gone that long. He's just been wearing another man's body. But he hadn't particularly wanted to plead for attention from something with Jack's unique face.]
What about him?
[Other than the fact he's generally kind of an odd guy. But for someone else also occasionally abrasive, that's hard to judge in others. Hank tends to befriend disreputable types. He's got limits on just how disreputable.]
[Connor sits down on the couch and tugs Hank down to sit beside him. Then he scruffs Tubbs behind the ears.]
He isn't who we think he is. A woman named Maya told me what he's really like. Where he's from, he was trying to rule an entire planet. He murdered people indiscriminately, he was injecting his daughter with something called Eridium so that he could use her to open a vault, and his company was running experiments on people. I understand that I shouldn't take the word of one woman, but she's named many other people here who could verify her story. Even his daughter, Angel.
[Hank sits, and he knows that when he's made to sit the news can't be good. When Connor's trying to be gentle with it, it can't be good. And he almost wishes that he'd be crass or rough with it so Hank could have the indignancy to be angry and not feel the impending doom of revelation, but that's just not Connor's way.]
[He'd thought Jack was, at worst, a scumbag businessman. Which can be hit or miss on what type of person that is. A scumbag businessman can still be good company. But using his daughter for experimentation changes it. The whole conversation about the AIs twisted into a new light.]
Angel...
Spoke to her once. I know someone that knows her pretty well. [Krieg, who, strangely enough, is one of Hank's few contacts he's made since being here.]
I'll uh... yeah, this sounds like something I should talk to one of them about. [But Hank's voice is sounding pretty somber, the weight of stupidity and poor judgment burdening it down.]
I've been advised not to confront Jack with it. It's probably a good idea, at least until we know for sure that she's telling the truth. But if it does turn out to be true, and you want to talk to Jack about it, I want to be there.
[He fiddles with Hank's hand, toying with his fingers.]
There's no way we can just pretend to enjoy his company afterwards, after all.
[Hank just looks disappointed for the moment, and while he lets his hand be held he doesn't particularly reciprocate. He's trying to figure out what to do with a surge of irritability. Honestly, it makes him feel like an idiot for so many of his previous conversations.]
I actually felt sorry for the guy, you know? When he was talking about having ended up alone. He'd mentioned that his daughter bred most of the dogs that he has.
Shows what an idiot I am, huh? [He had every bad sign but had chosen to ignore them out of sheer indignance at the abrasive idealism of this place.]
[Shit. And they already invested in this house. If he'd known just a couple of weeks earlier? He'd have opted for one of the other cities just so he wouldn't run into the guy as often. Another whole financial level for him to feel like a moron.]
[Tubbs whines at Hank, sensing his unease. Hank finally just withdraws his hand.] Hey, spend some time with 'em. I'm gonna go to the office for a minute. [He starts to get up.]
[He stops, held properly before he can walk away.]
I talked to him more than you did, though. You would have noticed. In my position, you probably would have noticed. You um... [He clears his throat. He knows what his problem was. He'd actually, for once, not been looking for reasons to push someone away, but looking for someone companionable to be grumpy with.]
I just need to make a call and do some budgeting. [Just on the off chance they piss off a guy with Pokemon a lot stronger than theirs. Jack's been here a while. He's had a lot of time to train.]
Oh uh... While you were out, Smart Ass turned into a Big Ass. So you should go have a look at him. He's out back. Just give me a few minutes.
[The kiss is sweet, and a nice reminder that while he's getting lost in his ruminating, he does actually have Connor back and is free to show him some affection again.]
Alright. Yeah. I'll be in the office.
[And outside the Mudsdale is just plodding around by their pond, kicking up a muddy spot for himself. Easily the size of an animal that both Hank and Connor could ride if they wanted to. He neighs at Connor in a way that sounds like 'Dale' somehow. At least it's not donkey-braying.]
[In the meantime, Hank lays out copies of their paychecks and his last few side earnings so he can start calculating travel plans. Part of why he'd even chosen Goldenrod to live was because of Jack's suggestions, and now he doesn't know what to do with that.]
[Connor spends some time patting the Mudsdale and playing with Odette before heading back inside. It’s too chilly to be out there for too long. He heads up to the office and links his arms around Hank’s shoulders from behind as he sits there with their paychecks, kissing him on the temple.]
I uh.... I don't know. Figured if I was going to travel for this investigation, might as well start looking at our finances. No one offered to help us travel so it'd be up to us and maybe it's for the best 'cause I feel a whole lot of conversations I don't want to have coming on.
[If they have to be slow about it and do it in trips, so be it.]
[He reaches up and puts his hand over Connor's forearm, holding onto it loosely. He's glad that familiar scent belongs to the right person again. He's missed being close to that. And he damn well knows that he needs to pull his head out of his own ass for ten seconds and appreciate it.]
Can you do me a favor tonight? Wear one of my shirts to bed.
We’ve managed to get this far, with far less funds to our name. We’ll do fine. I’m sure of it. I can’t promise the conversations will go as smoothly, though.
[He hums thoughtfully, pressing another little kiss by Hank’s ear.]
Just the shirt?
[It’s nice to be back to being able to enjoy Hank’s company like this again, and he closes his eyes and nuzzles his face into Hank’s neck.]
Just the shirt. [Hank confirms, tipping his head to lean against Connor's hair as his hugged and nuzzled from behind. But he does squint over his checks.]
I guess all that shitty corporate world-dominating savvy worked out for him, considering he can buy shit from magazines and has two houses. What's his job, anyway?
[Seems like if Connor was stuck in his body, he might have a chance to find out. And now it'll be a little harder to find out with a casual conversation. He doesn't know how he'll feel after he talks to Krieg.]
[Hank leans back some as Connor moves in front of him, wondering what he's doing. But then he sees the way he slides back onto the desk, and the look in his eye, and he bites his lower lip and plays with his ink pen for just a few seconds.]
[It's been a few months now and Connor can still kill him with those big brown eyes. He's glad to have them back to normal.]
[Primly he puts the ink pen down, stands up, and makes his way towards the bedroom.]
You! Off the bed. All of you. Out. You too, Luann! Out out out! Fuck off!
[He's ushering all the confused Pokemon out of the room, and they just look utterly perplexed. He even looks in the closet and under the bed for stragglers. At the last moment, he thinks to look in his pocket. Right. Connie.]
[She's put on top of Crockett, and she holds onto his antenna as if she were a tiny Flabebe again.]
[Connor smirks very slightly as Hank gets up to clear the bedroom. Good to know he can still get his way with just a look. He gets up off the desk again to watch as the Pokemon all file out of the bedroom, looking confused, and he gives Tubbs a pat as he trots past.]
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[Once he's done lingering there, he doesn't even move properly enough away to say-] I don't want you to do that again either. [Spoken right against his mouth.]
[There are dogs and Magnezones and various other monstrosities gathering in there to greet the familiar Connor too, but Hank's busy commandeering his attention. They can wait, thanks.]
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I missed you.
[He lowers his hands and smiles up at Hank.]
I can show you how much later. For now though, we need to talk about Jack.
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What about him?
[Other than the fact he's generally kind of an odd guy. But for someone else also occasionally abrasive, that's hard to judge in others. Hank tends to befriend disreputable types. He's got limits on just how disreputable.]
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He isn't who we think he is. A woman named Maya told me what he's really like. Where he's from, he was trying to rule an entire planet. He murdered people indiscriminately, he was injecting his daughter with something called Eridium so that he could use her to open a vault, and his company was running experiments on people. I understand that I shouldn't take the word of one woman, but she's named many other people here who could verify her story. Even his daughter, Angel.
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[He'd thought Jack was, at worst, a scumbag businessman. Which can be hit or miss on what type of person that is. A scumbag businessman can still be good company. But using his daughter for experimentation changes it. The whole conversation about the AIs twisted into a new light.]
Angel...
Spoke to her once. I know someone that knows her pretty well. [Krieg, who, strangely enough, is one of Hank's few contacts he's made since being here.]
I'll uh... yeah, this sounds like something I should talk to one of them about. [But Hank's voice is sounding pretty somber, the weight of stupidity and poor judgment burdening it down.]
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[He leans against Hank, frowning.]
I've been advised not to confront Jack with it. It's probably a good idea, at least until we know for sure that she's telling the truth. But if it does turn out to be true, and you want to talk to Jack about it, I want to be there.
[He fiddles with Hank's hand, toying with his fingers.]
There's no way we can just pretend to enjoy his company afterwards, after all.
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I actually felt sorry for the guy, you know? When he was talking about having ended up alone. He'd mentioned that his daughter bred most of the dogs that he has.
Shows what an idiot I am, huh? [He had every bad sign but had chosen to ignore them out of sheer indignance at the abrasive idealism of this place.]
[Shit. And they already invested in this house. If he'd known just a couple of weeks earlier? He'd have opted for one of the other cities just so he wouldn't run into the guy as often. Another whole financial level for him to feel like a moron.]
[Tubbs whines at Hank, sensing his unease. Hank finally just withdraws his hand.] Hey, spend some time with 'em. I'm gonna go to the office for a minute. [He starts to get up.]
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[He grabs at Hank's hand again, looking up at him earnestly.]
I don't want you to leave and sit alone thinking that you're stupid. You're not, Hank. I didn't see it, either.
[So if Hank is stupid, then so is Connor.]
We can do something else, if you'd like. Go on a walk, or watch TV. Anything to take your mind off it.
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I talked to him more than you did, though. You would have noticed. In my position, you probably would have noticed. You um... [He clears his throat. He knows what his problem was. He'd actually, for once, not been looking for reasons to push someone away, but looking for someone companionable to be grumpy with.]
I just need to make a call and do some budgeting. [Just on the off chance they piss off a guy with Pokemon a lot stronger than theirs. Jack's been here a while. He's had a lot of time to train.]
Oh uh... While you were out, Smart Ass turned into a Big Ass. So you should go have a look at him. He's out back. Just give me a few minutes.
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Okay. As long as you promise that you'll come back afterwards.
[He leans in for another kiss before he goes.]
...Because I've missed this.
[And he heads out into the garden, with Odette waddling along behind him.]
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Alright. Yeah. I'll be in the office.
[And outside the Mudsdale is just plodding around by their pond, kicking up a muddy spot for himself. Easily the size of an animal that both Hank and Connor could ride if they wanted to. He neighs at Connor in a way that sounds like 'Dale' somehow. At least it's not donkey-braying.]
[In the meantime, Hank lays out copies of their paychecks and his last few side earnings so he can start calculating travel plans. Part of why he'd even chosen Goldenrod to live was because of Jack's suggestions, and now he doesn't know what to do with that.]
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What are you doing?
[Fretting over money, by the looks of it.]
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[If they have to be slow about it and do it in trips, so be it.]
[He reaches up and puts his hand over Connor's forearm, holding onto it loosely. He's glad that familiar scent belongs to the right person again. He's missed being close to that. And he damn well knows that he needs to pull his head out of his own ass for ten seconds and appreciate it.]
Can you do me a favor tonight? Wear one of my shirts to bed.
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[He hums thoughtfully, pressing another little kiss by Hank’s ear.]
Just the shirt?
[It’s nice to be back to being able to enjoy Hank’s company like this again, and he closes his eyes and nuzzles his face into Hank’s neck.]
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I guess all that shitty corporate world-dominating savvy worked out for him, considering he can buy shit from magazines and has two houses. What's his job, anyway?
[Seems like if Connor was stuck in his body, he might have a chance to find out. And now it'll be a little harder to find out with a casual conversation. He doesn't know how he'll feel after he talks to Krieg.]
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[He sees Hank squinting at the cheques and sidles over to the desk in front of him, sitting down and effectively blocking his view.]
Does his job really matter right now?
[He has that look in his eyes that says he's thinking of something completely different right now.]
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[It's been a few months now and Connor can still kill him with those big brown eyes. He's glad to have them back to normal.]
[Primly he puts the ink pen down, stands up, and makes his way towards the bedroom.]
You! Off the bed. All of you. Out. You too, Luann! Out out out! Fuck off!
[He's ushering all the confused Pokemon out of the room, and they just look utterly perplexed. He even looks in the closet and under the bed for stragglers. At the last moment, he thinks to look in his pocket. Right. Connie.]
[She's put on top of Crockett, and she holds onto his antenna as if she were a tiny Flabebe again.]
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You can go back inside soon, I promise.