002 ♍ In Which Our Correspondent Discovers The Function Through Which To Visually Broadcast

[mamadonna]

[ The video clicks on to show Dolorosa fussing with the computer. Well, most of her. Only the bottom of her head is visible, as whoever used this terminal last is far shorter than she is. After a few moments of this, the camera shakes and refocuses to show her face, and after double-checking it against the display on the monitor, she smiles and places her hands in her lap.

She looks tired, and the bags under her eyes have deepened from getting very little sleep this past month. ]

Well, I'm pleased to see they have heard and followed my suggestion to improve the cafeteria menu! The recent state of affairs has been simply atrocious, we can't have growing children expected to receive their necessary sustenance from such negligent offerings.

More than this, it allows little excuse for one to not eat healthfully, so I must encourage you all to observe your proper nutritional schedule each day. Should you require assistance, or perhaps more direct motivation, [ ie. her pulling you by the ear to the cafeteria ] my services remain available.

I'm glad to see local operations improving following the dreadful events of the past weeks.

[ Of course, she...doesn't know about the puffer fish soup... ]

Comments

[hystericull]

Uh, I meant, like... for... uh...

[Blegh. Tongue-tied. You know what? Maybe it was better to not mention it. That way, it's like it never happened! Good plan!]

Workin' on that shit what's right the fuck now, I all am!

[He held up the half-eaten pie.]

But, didn't you all get to sayin' there ain't no motherfucking food left up in here? Someone go to eat it all or some shit like that?

[mamadonna]

[ Oh heavens, Gamzee, not the pies. ]

Quite the opposite, in fact! That had been a problem previously, but the purpose of this message was to share with our fellow residents that the menu has greatly expanded in our favor.

We'll need to see that you consume something more legitimate than...your current "meal".

[hystericull]

[Do you want pies or do you want murderchild? He doesn't know what to do with himself, okay? Also, would it surprise you to know that he didn't actually read the first message?]

Oh, fuck! Then, that all be motherfuckin' bitchin' in the foody-area of things! You be all to get that fuckin' tummy of yours to be a happy little dude? Get your fucking chow-down on of all them new eatable miracles?

[He blinked down at the slime innocently.]

Motherfuck... not the meal thing again...

[mamadonna]

[ She never saw enough murderchild to correlate the two. Hell, she barely knows what he's even saying half the time. ]

That is...certainly a manner in which one might consider phrasing it.

But if you must insist on consuming your sopor allowance, I must also remind you of the extreme lack of nutrition they pass on to you! Your growing body needs a great deal more, even if only as a supplement to the more distasteful additions to your diet.

[hystericull]

[That is all for the best! For all the complaining he did about her fussing, Gamzee suddenly couldn't find it in him to actually let her know how much he'd missed her. How much watching her die had frightened him, set him off. He halfheartedly listened to her reprimand him, not at all concerned with the nutritional aspect of it, but concentrating fully on the fact that she was still around to nag.]

Don't think I can all get my glance on at one of them nutritional sticks they got here no motherfuckin' more. Got the wigglies in my guts just thinkin' on 'em...

Bleh.

[mamadonna]

[ SHE SCOWLS A LITTLE. Even thinking about the nutrition bars anymore churns her digestive sac. ]

For that reaction, I cannot blame you. One more day with those and I would prefer starvation!

Luckily, with the cafeteria open once more, we are allowed a much greater variety than that.

[hystericull]

[At least she shared his sentiment. While having no real interest in food, exactly, he still looked up from his slime with a weak smile.]

...Yeah?

[mamadonna]

Oh, yes! We can start you with fruit if you can't spare the curiosity for any greater exploration of the menu. Some of the options are rather appetizing.

[hystericull]

[Ahhhh he was not hungry he was not hungry he was not hungry. STUBBORN CHILD ALERT. Gamzee made a face reminiscent of a hormonal teenager being told to take out the garbage.]

Urghhhhhhhhh...

[mamadonna]

[ He expression turns a little more chiding. ]

When have you last had anything to eat aside from the pies and that ghastly soda you keep?

OH MY GOD THE NOTIF FOR THIS DIED weeps gently

[hystericull]

[The last time he, er... well...]

[PIES WERE FOOD AND THEY WERE GOOD STOP HATING ON THEM. HATER.]

Uh... the little machiney dudes got all at stuffin' our motherfuckin' traps with the gross shit when they first carted us motherfuckers off. Got some water, too, so I guess that fuckin' counts for somethin', too.

[But that was like a month ago, whoops. He hadn't had much of an appetite since they started operating on him. He'd eat a bit when the hunger became unbearable, but for the most part he'd stayed away from those damn bars.]

Kinda didn't have no motherfucking appetite for a while, yeah? Didn't all have the hungries gettin' their nag on in me like what's they usually all do when it's time for the sweet shit.

[mamadonna]

I cannot help but recognize your use of the past tense. This doesn't rule out current hunger, and we can't allow you to starve from lack of sustenance.

[hystericull]

Hey, hey. Chill the fuck out, girl. Like I was sayin', I got all that hunger noise on lock right motherfucking here.

For real, yo. You ain't motherfuckin' careful, you'll to be all worryin' that pretty green head off your fucking shoulders, you all will.

[mamadonna]

My mood would be far more chilled and free of worry if I were certain you were being fed something of greater substance than those mind-rotting pies.

[hystericull]

[He ponders this for a moment. Any form of psychological trickery is almost guaranteed to work on him at all times. Although straight-up telling him something like this might not be considered "psychological trickery," it's enough to get him to consider her concern. He brightens.]

Wouldn't be no fucking place of mine to all keep on havin' you be in all sorts of states of motherfucking unrest on somethin' that I be all motherfuckin' capable of gettin' my rectification on at!

What can a brother do to make another motherfucker like yourself all certain on the fact that he gonna be being up and gettin' some fuckin' sustenance at his belly, hmm?

[mamadonna]

Perhaps you could allow me to accompany you to the cafeteria for at least one meal each day. If we can achieve that much, I will be much more at ease with your diet.

[ And maybe they could expand it from there as they went on, but she just wants a healthy foundation first. ]

[hystericull]

[Mama pls.]

[Having a structured schedule about anything had never really worked out for him ever. He'd forget, or get lazy, or space out, or really any other thing that could possibly be not doing whatever it was that he was supposed to be doing would affect him, and the plans would fall to pieces in seconds. He made The Face again at this suggestion, with full knowledge of his atrocious time-management skills.]

[And he groaned.]

Shit like that be what's really gonna make you up and get your fuckin' relax on? Makin' sure some gangly-ass motherfucker gets his three hots?

Or, uh, one hot, I fuckin' guess. Or, uhh... maybe one cold. Don't even much know what they got down in that motherfuckin' place as of late. Either way...

[Gamzee please stop talking.]

[mamadonna]

[ She has every intention of enforcing the schedule, no matter how much nagging and fussing she'll need to employ. ]

That is precisely what would better inspire me to relax. A knowledge that your health is being submitted to the nutrition it requires, and the best way to accomplish this would be to oversee it personally.

[hystericull]

[Ughrhghhgh! But... if it would make her happy, who the fuck was he to say no to stuffing some food down his throat? Small price to pay, honestly. If only he could have just done that to save her from being impaled. Wouldn't that have been nice?]

[...]

[Can we not think about that???]

Okay!

...Okay, okay.

When you all be wantin' a brother to get his bones down there? Can't get no promises made that I'll be getting my remember on of it, though.

[He scratched his head sheepishly. Er, okay now his fingers were caught.]

[mamadonna]

In which room do you make your residence? I believe it would be simpler if I escorted you directly rather than depending on your memory to place you at a previously determined location.

[hystericull]

Uhhh...

[Yeah, he's been here five months and still doesn't know his room number. Since he was sitting at the terminal in front of said room, he gave a not-so-subtle glance over his shoulder, leaning back a little in his chair to try and make out the numbers next to the door.]

1-0.........2.

Wait.

[Let's read the names to make sure his is on there...]

1-02
>Romeo
>Ghirahim
>Gamzee Makara
>Veigar

[Okay, yeah, there he was!]

...Yeah! 1-02.

SUDDENLY ACTION

[mamadonna]

[ Oh, uh. In that case, she stands up and walks about ten feet from her own terminal, right next to 1-01. ]

Well, the adjacent position should mean no difficulty will be encountered in the attempt.

[Shameful action.]

[hystericull]

[HOLY SHIT SHE WAS SUDDENLY RIGHT UP IN HIS BUSINESS.]

[He really, really hadn't expected her to be so close. And he really, really hadn't expected the voice from the terminal speakers to suddenly be right behind him like surround-sound only more real because it was actually behind him and it may have made him jump about five feet into the air and honk like a wild thing as a result.]

[After the noises were out of his system, however, he calmed down quite rapidly. It took him a moment to take in the situation - she clearly was magical and was able to either run very, very quickly, or she had mystic teleportation powers. That must have been what that dope motherfucking veil was for. He bet it looked bitchin' when she whooshed around like that.]

[Oh, but, she was here! Now. And... he felt a lot of things at once, mostly. There was still the almost-paralyzing fear from the experiments that he hadn't quite been able to shake, and then there was guilt for the thing that he was going to try and stop thinking about and doing a poor job of it. On top of it all was relief. She was alive now. She'd been alive on the network, but it was just more reassuring to actually see her standing in front of him.]

[Gamzee stared up at her dumbly as the whirlwind went through him. Each emotion would have been a lot more distinct if he hadn't just thrown slime down his throat like there was no tomorrow, but he had, so they sort of melded together, washing over him in muddled tides. After they'd quieted, only a small feeling remained. It was insignificant, quiet and persistent. Something left over from his old, dopey self that had refused to die even after they'd taken his skin and his blood and his brain. It caused a stupid, toothy smile to take up the majority of his face, caused his eyes and the bridge of his nose to crinkle as he vaulted off of his seat and threw his arms around the woman's middle.]

[action which is pretty much bathed in shame]

[mamadonna]

[ She lets out a joyous laugh and kneels down so she can hug him more properly, giving his back a hearty rub and trying not to focus too heavily on how bony it is.

This is what happens when you shut yourself off after dying, Rosa, you make people worry, and there's nothing worse than having someone worry over you unnecessarily. She'll take that lesson to heart. ]

I'm glad to be reunited with you as well, Gamzee.

[The shame knows no bounds in this action.]

[hystericull]

[Her laugh was contagious, and since he was already grinning from ear to ear, his own giggles were not far off. As her hand found its way across his back, he felt himself relax instinctively, turning to lay a cheek on her shoulder.]

Dunno why I was all up and gettin' so motherfuckin' whacked out 'bout seein' you around again and shit. Every bro and bitch at this motherfucking place be all hoppin' their sorry asses out their 'coons straight after they get all down with the death noise like it ain't no thing at all. Ain't no motherfucking reason why you all wouldn't be doin' the same thing, I guess.