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

[ 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... ]

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[He listened to all of Dolorosa's explanation, and in the quietest and most easily-ignored part of his mind, he admitted that it did make some sense. But fortunately, he did not have to vocalize those thoughts, because there was another discrepancy that he could focus on instead.] ...Your son? [Did she mean her descendant? Assuming she was one of the few who had one?]

[ She's been told about her descendant, but she still remains skeptical about the whole thing. ]

He was a grub who would not be assigned a lusus save for my intervention. And so, I assumed the role myself.

[Normally, so would he, but he's had the 'fortune' of meeting an Ancestor-Descendant pair. Both have tried to kill him on separate occasions, and one succeeded.]

[He frowned. An unusual path to take in its own right, but... not completely farfetched, he decided.] Why would he be refused a lusus?

[ She glances at her timer as she continues slicing the pineapple. The recurrence of certain signs has been certainly curious, but she wouldn't like to jump to any conclusions. ]

As I'd previously mentioned, his caste was below consideration. Were he discovered, he would be culled without hesitation as an aberration.

I found this possibility unacceptable.

Well, yes, but...

[Equius knew a troll like that himself; though he hadn't quite noticed it yet, the nullblood's horns and the Dolorosa's were exactly the same. But this nullblood had a lusus, according to the few times they were willing to share knowledge oft heir lives and situations. He never really understood why she could have a lusus being in the state she was in, but always chalked it up to some overly-sentimental, stupid custodian taking pity on her. Despite this, he had grown used to the idea.]

...I see. And... I'm sure that must have put you in great personal danger, as well.

[ A little more than just danger, it eventually doomed him, her, and everyone they cared about. And even now, after having gone through it all, she can't quite decide if she would still have done it all again. She likes to think she would, at least, but ultimately she's glad to not have known the details of how it would end rather than just an awareness of the possibility.

The question noticeably catches her off-guard, as her slicing skips a beat and she answers in a more subdued tone than before. ]

Nothing I hadn't knowingly submitted myself to. He would not be capable of facing it on his own, I felt the alternative would be unconscionable.

[He nodded, considering this answer. It was very against the normal mindset a troll would adopt, but considering what he already knew about the Dolorosa and her actions, perhaps calling her troll-like would be a bit too much to ask. No troll he knew would... well, maybe that wasn't an entirely accurate statement, because he could count twelve trolls (including himself) who would give shelter to a child of filth like that. But he liked to believe that none of them would have raised her, willingly, from grubhood.]

[He had been speaking to the Dolorosa for long enough now, right? He could ask her the one question on his mind right now, couldn't he?]

...Do we need any other fruits?

[...No, apparently not.]

[ That's okay, she's patient and will be ready to hear his question when he's ready to voice it.

In the meantime, she points with her knife to a bowl she'd brought out. ]

There are, in fact. The bright, spined ones are not as intimidating as they seem, though separating them from their hide may be a delicate maneuver.

The small red ones are quite sweet, and require little more than the removal of their stems.

[He picks up one of the aforementioned red ones and inspects it for a moment. Oh. The structure is similar, if the stem goes from top to bottom in a straight line like some of the fruits he's used to. So he reaches into a cabinet and rifles around for a core remover.] How many do we need?

As many as you should like. Perhaps a dozen or so.

[ She watches him dig through the cabinet, but strawberries shouldn't need anything more than what they have already, so she turns the handle of the smallest knife she has toward him. ]

This should do the work you need adequately.

[He takes it, nodding at her.] Ah, thank you.

[And so he goes, carving out twelve of them and forming a neat little pile.]

[ By the time he's finished that, she's sliced a second pineapple and the timer dings. ]

Hmm. I suppose it will be time to discover whether it's as simple to remove a dish as to originally place it.

It usually is. [But then, with that thing you never know. He walks across the room, pulling on oven mitts as he goes. Somehow in the many months he's been using this kitchen, the pit of fire isn't as terrifying as it once was... but that doesn't mean one shouldn't take simple safety precautions!]

[...Because oven mitts will totally save him if the thing decides to lock him in.]

Uh... [ She'd meant to go in herself, spare him the danger, but given that he was already ahead of her, the least she could do was hold the door to ensure just that didn't happen! ]

Thank you... [And guess who didn't even notice? The answer is this guy, because--] ...these smell very good.

I'm glad they're to your liking. [ She brings out a couple plates and spreads the fruit along them, then spatulas the paratha on to the center. ] Just a bit of butter and we should be ready to eat.

[He nods obediently and fetches said butter from the fridge, along with a knife, which he sets in front of Dolorosa. Handing people knives is always awkward.]

[ She slices off a portion on top of the paratha and puts a fork on the plate before sliding it over to him. She then does the same for her own. ]

Enjoy.

Thank you very much, ma'am.

[Really, he is thankful. People like the Dolorosa are not a familiar sight to him. This woman even took time out of her schedule to show so much concern for others, including him. He's not very good at admitting it, but he quite looks up to you now, Dolorosa.]

It is no trouble. I'm only glad to see you properly fed.

[ It's become an instinct to her at this point. She sees a need, she must do everything in her power to fulfill it. With everything she's been through in her long life, it's the only way she can feel of use anymore.

And so, with that, she takes her own fork and digs in. ]

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

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