pc catchall with connor (tootsiepop)

[requiemed]

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[requiemed]

[She shakes her head.]

No... It's okay. I grabbed something that I think will help, at least.

[Pulling one of the golden brown squares of food out of her pocket, she glances his way.]

Did you try it yet? Cunning said it would heal wounds. I think it should work for you, too... He said since we took the risk, we got the reward, so I bet he did something to it that would make it safe for you to eat.

[tootsiepop]

No... Not yet. I spoke with Cunning shortly after our excursion, but—

[Hm. There's no way to phrase this without making Zoe frown at him again, aslas.]

... It would be better if we reserved them for you and Ray. I can't feel pain, after all, and I'm not in any real danger from the damage I've sustained.

[requiemed]

Well, nobody but us three can eat it or bad things will happen, and I'm not planning on needing five squares. So.

[She breaks off half of the one she's holding.]

It would improve my emotional state.

[tootsiepop]

[... Ah.

Of course.

Connor pauses, momentarily stunned, before he just. Kind of looks away.]

... If that's the case, then I guess I have no choice but to accept. [...] Thank you, Zoe.

[Taking that ambrosia square...! Though he's not eating it yet. He just kind of stares at it like he has no idea what to do with it, tbh.]

[requiemed]

[There's a beat, where she glances at his staring, before:]

It's like licking, except you put the whole thing in your mouth and move your teeth around a lot.

[She's helping, maybe.]

[tootsiepop]

[Giving her an unimpressed look, because he knows how eating works. In theory, of course. It's just that...]

Are you absolutely certain it's safe? I'm designed to ingest samples in small quantities, but this is... larger than what I would normally gather for analysis.

[He's never actually eaten before? This is weird???]

[requiemed]

[She pauses, before she gives him a small shrug.]

Maybe try a little bit at a time...? Cunning said you earned it. I don't think it's going to hurt you.

[tootsiepop]

[A beat.

And he nods, slowly.]

... Okay. I trust you.

[Here goes nothing! He breaks off a smaller chunk from the piece Zoe gave him, and puts it in his mouth. He starts chewing — only to stop. Chew again. Stop. Look... really confused? Before he shoves another piece in his mouth and pretty much repeats the same process. Hm.]

[requiemed]

[It's hard not to look just a little amused as she watches his progress, even if she tries to hold it back.]

You doing okay there, man?

[tootsiepop]

[After swallowing, looking and sounding super fucking confused:]

I don't know what this is.

[As in, he's not getting any nerfed feedback from his analyzer and it's weirding him out.

But in other news: It's... kind of working? Or something. His fingers are starting to look less melty and more fleshy, that's for sure.]

[requiemed]

[She's about to helpfully inform him that it's food, but that sure does distract her. Given his lack of ability to feel pain, she's actually not sure if he'll be able to feel it on his own, so:]

Connor, your hands!

[tootsiepop]

[He pauses

and

looks down at his 75% more fleshy hands.]

Oh.

[MILDLY. Kind of shook, tho.]

It's working?

[requiemed]

See? I told you!

[She looks down at the other half of the square in her hand, tilting her head.]

What did it taste like?

[tootsiepop]

[HUH. This is so fucking weird.]

I don't know. [Frowning.] I don't have a traditional sense of taste, so to speak. My software to provides feedback on the samples I ingest. But this time, there was... nothing.

[tfw you have no happy/comforting memories associated with food.]

[requiemed]

Weird.

[Anyways, she follows suit and pops some in her mouth. The first thing she feels is surprise, because—]

It's... cold. Was yours cold?

[tootsiepop]

[... ?]

No. It's at room temperature... Yours is cold?

[requiemed]

Yeah. It tastes kind of like... ice cream?

[It looks like there's something coming back to her, from the sudden realization in her expression.]

—Oh.

[tootsiepop]

... Ice cream?

[He's taking another bite, which in turn heals more of his injuries. But, more importantly—]

Is something wrong?

[requiemed]

No, it’s just...

[The pain in her leg and the ache along her entire body is starting to subside. She should look happy, maybe, and there is a genuine warmth in her expression; it’s just that it’s also laced with melancholy and some other strong emotion.]

There was this ice cream shop my family used to go to together. In the summers, we’d stop there before we went to this orchard nearby, and Connor and I would...

[There’s a brief pause before she decides to clarify, given the name.]

My brother’s name was Connor, sorry. Anyways - it tastes just like that ice cream.

[tootsiepop]

[... Oh.

It's always this topic that leaves him at a loss, huh. The death of a loved one. The grief of having lost (a son) a brother... Connor doesn't have anything to compare it with. He wasn't programmed to provide comfort, only to complete his mission as efficiently as possible. He wasn't programmed to deal with this at all.]

... I'm sorry, Zoe.

[He doesn't know how he's supposed to react. Not really. He scrambles for something to say, but. Well. All he can think of is very factual. Very not comforting.]

It's... strange that the flavors would be different. Both pieces were one square.

[requiemed]

[Like last time, she won't say it's okay. But... She moves on regardless, latching onto his next point. With furrowed brows, she speaks.]

I wonder if it's personalized. [...] Can I ask who you saw when we found the oracle?

[tootsiepop]

[Just like when they were back in the house, Connor's expression becomes shuttered. He glances off to the side, breaking eye contact as he breaks off another piece from his remaining share of ambrosia.]

Lieutenant Hank Anderson. [...] My partner.

[It's fine.]

Based on your question, I assume you saw someone else.

[requiemed]

Yeah. It'd be pretty weird if I saw your partner, right?

[But, hm.]

Are you two pretty close?

[tootsiepop]

... I thought we were. But I was wrong.

[is zoe sure she wants to go down this road. ]

[requiemed]

[Based on the obvious look of concern that comes onto her face, probably.]

What happened?