pc catchall with connor (tootsiepop)

[requiemed]

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[tootsiepop]

[He sure is taking note of this. It's the main reason he asked, in fact.]

Because, assuming you spoke the truth last week, you're no longer aligned with Cunning. Who are you aligned with now?

[requiemed]

Love.

[She answers without much hesitation; she knows his, so it’s only fair.]

I switched last week because I was worried since Cunning only had one follower. Now he’s fine, so... I’m back.

[tootsiepop]

I see. Thank you for your honesty, Zoe.

[unlike

some

people.]

You wouldn't have happened to select Hopelessly Devoted, would you?

[requiemed]

[She nods.]

I did. Why?

[tootsiepop]

I'm thinking ahead for the trial.

[requiemed]

[She tilts her head slightly.]

What do you want me to do?

[tootsiepop]

Do you believe it would be possible to implant the idea of speaking only the objective truth, in the mind of someone who's deemed suspicious?

[requiemed]

I could give it a shot, but I’m not sure it would fly. I know we can’t ask for task rewards that would interfere with other powers... If it’s the same for powers, it might be too close to Lie Detection.

[But, hm.]

I’ll check with Love, but did you have somebody in mind?

[tootsiepop]

Not yet. That would have to wait until Friday morning at the earliest, after we've been made aware of the victims.

[It's worth a shot, either way. Worst case scenario, it's 1) a no-go or 2) they end up with someone flaunting all their dirty laundry. It's fine?]

[requiemed]

Right. Well, I’ll let you know what I find out when I talk to her.

[She tilts her head.]

And if not... It was still a good idea.

[tootsiepop]

Thank you. I appreciate the effort, nonetheless.

[A beat.]

There's something else I need to speak with you about, but you must promise not to be alarmed.

[requiemed]

[She pauses when he asks that, concern already spilling into her expression.]

I... promise to at least try not to be.

[tootsiepop]

I'm unaware if you already know of this, but I was targeted for murder on Thursday.

[That concern is unnecessary?]

[requiemed]

[IS IT!!

Her eyes are almost immediately widening despite his insistence that she not panic; she looks his way with a new scrutiny, trying to see if he has any injuries.]

Of course I didn’t know that! What happened? Who was it?

[tootsiepop]

[ZOE...

Connor is just giving her a look, almost as if insisting that she find some chill.]

I said not to panic.

[Gosh!!]

Luna and Newton had agreed to deactivate me after they were done killing Ruin. Clearly, that plan did not take off. And we have the person who protected Ruin from Luna's initial attempt to thank for it.

[requiemed]

[She still looks Shook, but she tries to reign that in, taking a deep breath.]

...If you’re asking me who it is, I actually don’t know. But... I’ll tell the person who does know to give whoever it was a big thank you.

[tootsiepop]

I wasn't, but thank you. I assume they only intended to protect Ruin, but they inadvertently spared me from deactivation as well.

[Not from death. For all the errors that have been cropping up in his programming since his arrival, he's not quite there yet.]

... However, this means we need to have several contingency plans in place. I could be targeted again, and so could you.

[requiemed]

[Barely a moment passes before she speaks.]

That isn’t going to happen.

[tootsiepop]

This again?

[Zoe, please. They had this conversation while Strung Red.]

[requiemed]

If we have time to talk about what to do if it happens, we have time to talk about how to make sure it doesn’t.

[tootsiepop]

That doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared for the eventuality. Anything can happen.

[requiemed]

Okay, then. What’s your master plan for if you wake up in four days and I’m dead?

[tootsiepop]

The same "master plan" I am trying to devise with your help, if you would only cooperate.

[requiemed]

[Ughhhhh.]

What’s your idea?

[tootsiepop]

In the event that the bracelets fail, it would be wise to have a backup plan. Perhaps a piece of evidence we can leave behind that would be easily dismissed by the killer, that represents a code of some sort.