[Okay, good, so it is Sonic, as expected. It's just the two of them, and they can figure this out. They've managed to fumble their way through everything this world has thrown at them so far, so they can manage this too. Still, he finds himself nodding - a jerky, uneven motion that does nothing to still the shaking of his hands - and Sonic's(? his?) claws find his (or Sonic's?) quills and oh that feels tremendously weird. While Neo is certainly capable of feeling things, it isn't... like this. At all. Like his emotions, it's muted; he feels what he needs to feel in order to figure out where he is in space. It isn't as though he was built to feel things like a gentle caress. Though those metal fingers are cool, they comb through his quills easily, and it feels... really nice. He can certainly understand why Sonic lets him do it so often, because he sort of feels like he's melting.
Though at the same time, the anxiety has not gone down any. How could it, when he has no way to pull up past information he's gathered on sudden happenings like this? Usually, he'd have at least three different sets of information in his databanks open from previous conversations that could point to various elements that might be useful here - he's fairly sure he had a conversation with someone about how long these bizarre happenings usually take before they vanish entirely, but he can't recall that exact conversation. Neo has never forgotten anything. The fact that he can't bring up that information right now, when he needs it most is truly baffling, but it's also frustrating and... well, it's terrifying. Is this how all organic beings go through life? How can they possibly make decisions if they can't even remember all the information they've gathered?
Sonic's speaking to him and he should pay attention, so his eyes finally find Sonic's again. It's so surreal seeing his own optics staring back at him, as piercing and unflinching as ever, and yet knowing that Sonic's worrying behind them. The request isn't unreasonable and should be something he can comply with... though Neo doesn't... know how to breathe?? How is he supposed to take deep breaths when he doesn't know how to breathe in the first place? His body is doing it automatically, he doesn't—
But somehow that seems to get his brain (well, Sonic's brain) to cooperate and he takes a shuddering, gasping breath and holds it for a moment before releasing it. A second one follows; a little easier this time. By the third breath it's obvious he's beginning to relax a little, that the physical panic is dying down and he's getting his emotions back under control.]
Does... Does this usually happen to you?
[no, this is what we get when we put a robot with anxiety issues in a hedgehog full of feelings.]
no subject
Though at the same time, the anxiety has not gone down any. How could it, when he has no way to pull up past information he's gathered on sudden happenings like this? Usually, he'd have at least three different sets of information in his databanks open from previous conversations that could point to various elements that might be useful here - he's fairly sure he had a conversation with someone about how long these bizarre happenings usually take before they vanish entirely, but he can't recall that exact conversation. Neo has never forgotten anything. The fact that he can't bring up that information right now, when he needs it most is truly baffling, but it's also frustrating and... well, it's terrifying. Is this how all organic beings go through life? How can they possibly make decisions if they can't even remember all the information they've gathered?
Sonic's speaking to him and he should pay attention, so his eyes finally find Sonic's again. It's so surreal seeing his own optics staring back at him, as piercing and unflinching as ever, and yet knowing that Sonic's worrying behind them. The request isn't unreasonable and should be something he can comply with... though Neo doesn't... know how to breathe?? How is he supposed to take deep breaths when he doesn't know how to breathe in the first place? His body is doing it automatically, he doesn't—
But somehow that seems to get his brain (well, Sonic's brain) to cooperate and he takes a shuddering, gasping breath and holds it for a moment before releasing it. A second one follows; a little easier this time. By the third breath it's obvious he's beginning to relax a little, that the physical panic is dying down and he's getting his emotions back under control.]
Does... Does this usually happen to you?
[no, this is what we get when we put a robot with anxiety issues in a hedgehog full of feelings.]