pc catchall with connor (tootsiepop)

[requiemed]

Comments

[tootsiepop]

It wouldn't have had an effect on me.

[And therefore... No effect on her? Or so he assumes.]

... I'm aware. We were so close to getting somewhere, but we still failed. And now, there's one unidentified criminal on the lose.

[requiemed]

Can't be too careful.

[Or something like that, anyways. She gives a small sigh before putting her hands on her hips.]

Do you have any guesses about who it might have been...? She said they were a good actor.

[tootsiepop]

No... But Ambition's hint did lead me to believe it was a follower of Justice or Indulgence. It was the one we'd least expect, supposedly.

[requiemed]

I'd be less surprised if it were someone from Indulgence, so...

[A sigh.]

I guess we won't find out any time soon.

[tootsiepop]

I suppose.

[It's a bummer, and she can sense that he's clearly unhappy... But the feeling is, as always, rapidly stifled from his end.]

By the way— There's something I want to ask.

[requiemed]

Oh, sure. Go for it.

[She sounds curious as she looks his way.]

[tootsiepop]

[With zero tact--]

Have you developed romantic feelings for someone in this competition?

[requiemed]

...What does that have to do with anything?

[That’s not a no!!]

[tootsiepop]

Your feelings were impossible to ignore throughout the week. These, in particular, were...

[Uncomfortable.]

Distracting.

[requiemed]

What, do you want an apology about the normal human emotions I possess?

[smh]

[tootsiepop]

No, I don't. But thank you for confirming my analysis was correct.

[requiemed]

I didn’t say you were right. Why do you even care?

[Maybe she didn’t say he was right, but the rapidly mounting self consciousness sure does.]

[tootsiepop]

[When there was a vague sense of smugness before, it slowly begins to be replaced by concern.]

You're aware of the nature of this competition.

[requiemed]

I mean, yeah, obviously. We all are.

[But...]

What specific part of it are you referring to?

[tootsiepop]

The deaths.

Becoming so deeply attached to another participant will be a liability in the future. Do you understand?

[requiemed]

[There’s a pause of surprise, before he gets some definite anger from her end.]

He’s not going to die.

[tootsiepop]

[Yeah. He's just going to continue feeling concerned.]

You don't know that.

[requiemed]

[If anything, the concern just serves to irritate her more.]

Yes, I do, okay? And just - isn't your whole thing insisting that you don't have any feelings? If that's the case, why do you care?

[tootsiepop]

[...]

You're taking this too personally. Be rational, Zoe.

[requiemed]

Okay, then. I want a rational answer for why you're making it a point to tell me someone I care about might die.

[tootsiepop]

I...

[Because he's come to care about her, obviously. But that's not what he's programmed to do or say, so Zoe will know the exact moment he starts trying to smother his feelings into non-existence — with questionable results.]

It would be... detrimental... to the group as a whole, if you were to become irrational and upset during the trial. [...] Thinking about the common good is part of my programming. That's all there is to it.

[requiemed]

[She feels that, but she knows he won't admit to it if she asks why he felt that way. Instead...]

Why did you pause?

[tootsiepop]

I was determining the best way to explain my reasoning.

[no.]

[requiemed]

Really? Because detrimental seems like a pretty obvious word to pick, and the idea you were going for seems really clear.

[tootsiepop]

My programming takes more than just vocabulary into consideration.