requiemed | pc catchall with connor (tootsiepop)

Makes sense.

[She tilts her head, though.]

So, what’s up?

[Hmm... He tilts his head as well, thoughtfully.]

Can I ask you a question, Zoe?

[He gets a nod.]

Yeah, sure. Shoot.

Have you been targeted by any abilities so far?

...Not in the first few weeks. But - I felt something weird this morning.

[Huh.]

Why?

[...]

"Weird." In what sense?

Like... I was really, really happy the loophole worked and that guy didn’t die. But right after that, I got really confused and... Surprised, I guess is the right way to put it?

[His LED spins yellow for a beat, processing speed kicking up.]

... I see. [Frowning. Hm.] And would you consider those emotions to be your own?

[Please excuse her, she is suddenly feeling Certain Things. After that, she blinks up at him, as if she's realizing something, before:]

...Oh, shit.

[Certain Things gets met with Certain Things, apparently. He knows the moment she realizes it, of course. He can hecking feel it. But that doesn't stop him from trying to put a lid on it so he can pretend this has nothing to do with him.]

—Zoe? [Stop?? Looking at him????????] Is something wrong?

—Stop doing that!

[til one of my friends is a repressed roomba]

Stop doing what, exactly? I'm afraid I don't understand.

[LET HIM BE REPRESSED.]

[She's sure he knows what she's talking about, but just in case:]

Why did you ask me that specific question today, Connor?

After the last trial, it seemed prudent to know who has been targeted ahead of time.

[That is bullshit and Zoe 100% knows what she's talking about, tbh.]

[Deadpan:]

Wow. You are such a fucking liar. Good to know.

I still don't understand what you're referring to, Zoe.

[Also: Still grinding his feelings into the dirt. Let him live.]

You came to talk to me because you were feeling weird things too and you didn't know where they were coming from. Right? And you happened to be feeling weird things at the exact same time I was. Including right now, while we're talking.

[Connor, please.]

[Connor, yes?? He shakes his head.]

I apologize— But your entire premise is flawed. [Firmly. Insistently.] If you've been Strung Red, then I'm not the other party. I'm a machine. You can't receive emotional feedback from something that has no feelings. It's impossible.