We Are All Mad Here

*A few days after the meteor has officially set course for the Alpha session of Sburb, where they will meet the Post-Scratch players of the game 3 years from now. Throughout the last few days since the journey started, everyone has been at work on the meteor in some form or another to make it into a suitable home to last them all 3 years, ranging from interior decoration, to cleaning, to stocking up and doing inventory on the food supply, even building a greenhouse somewhere in order to plant fruits and vegetables, somehow, despite there being no sunlight to help them grow..... But alas, Paradox Space is full of wonders of their own that sometimes no one can explain. One of these tasks that was currently just finished after days of hard work was the installation of a water system, including a water heater, so that everyone would be able to take showers and clean themselves. For that, everyone has Equius to thank for being the one in charge of this specific project, with Nepeta, Eridan, Feferi, Sollux and and Karkat having helped as well. Now, with a successful and fully functioning water system installed, almost everyone had immediately taken it upon themselves to use their newly installed showers. With the sound of running water all throughout the meteor, combined with relieved sighs and the sight of steam billowing all through the halls, its safe to say that everyone is BEYOND relieved to finally be able to clean themselves after not having access to a shower for some time*

Kanaya:*sitting at the couch, all snuggled up in her Jade colored robe, sighing in relief while she drinks some tea*

Rose:*wearing a pink robe, sighing as well as she leans her head back to rest on top of the couch* God...... That was amazing.......

Dave:*chuckles* Right? I know that whole game lasted a long ass time for us, but man..... words cannot fucking describe how cathartic it feels to just let water rain down on you after surviving hours of a death game.

Sollux: Hours? Try 3 weeks of all of us dealing with that bullshit, and then being trapped here for a month with barely ANY access to clean water.

Lisa: A month..... with barely ANY water?? How the bleeding feck did you all survive?? When you weren't all trying to bleeding kill each other, that is.

Karkat: Honestly?..... As far as liquids go, I think we were mostly just living off of either Faygo, or whatever tea Rosali was able to make for us.

Lisa:.................. Tea or soda. Fecking Hell..... Lads. Lassies........ I'm scared for the fecking state of your kidneys. I don't even want to bleeding know what they look like at this point.

Terezi:......... What's a kidney?

Lisa:......... Fecking Hell.

Kanaya:*lets out a small laugh* Seeing as you're our self-appointed medic, you have a lot to learn on Troll biology, Lisa. But don't worry, Equius and I will teach you all there is to know.

Lisa:......... You two have experience in medical matters? From what I understand, Alternia was a fecking shitehole nightmare with no access to any sort of healthcare.

Equius: Well...... I've made robotic prosthetics for both Vriska and Tavros. Such a skill does require some knowledge on the functions of a Troll body.

Kanaya: And..... Well, as a Jadeblood, I was required to know a thing or two about looking after Grubs and The Mother Grub, at least. Had Alternia not been destroyed, I more than likely would have been sent off to live in isolation with other Jades as a sort of Space Nun. But that's another topic entirely. All you need to know is, I have done some research, and I can help you out in the med bay, Lisa. *smiles a little* Plus.... Us Sylphs should work together, don't you think?

Lisa: Hm.... A Sylph Of Mind, *points to herself* Sylph Of Space, *points to Kanaya* and a Sylph Of Heart, *points to Rosali* Heh...... Those 3, and an Heir Of Void helping as well? We might be set.

Equius: I..... don't think my classpect really has anything to do with what I can do in a medical environment, but..... I do appreciate the vote of confidence.

Lisa: No problem. In any case...... *holds up her teacup* Here's to clean fecking water for all of us.

Kanaya: Agreed, *holds up her own teacup* And to Equius, Nepeta, Karkat, Sollux, Feferi and Eridan for installing the very water system which now makes our access to clean water possible.

*Just about everyone takes part in the toast initiated by both Kanaya and Lisa as they all clink their teacups together and drink from them. It should be noted that Gamzee is the only one not present in the room*

Eridan:*sips from his teacup, glancing to Rosali*....... Moonstone?

Rosali;*sipping from her cup as well* Hm?

Eridan:...... You'vve been really quiet this entire time. Are you alright?

Rosali: Oh! Sorry, I was a little spaced out a moment..... Its just...... well.....

Eridan: Wwhat?

Rosali:........*lets out a nervous giggle* This is going to sound strange, but..... well..... that was actually my first time using a modern-day shower.

*This immediately silences everyone, as they all give Rosali confused glances*

Eridan:....... Wwhat do you mean? Howw..... Howw did you clean yourself back on Alternia, then?

Rosali: Well..... thing is, i...... never actually had a shower, sink..... any sort of water system installed in my cottage. If I needed drinking water, I went to this well that was located deep in my woods. As for cleaning, well...... I just went to this pond i frequented all the time, and I would bath in there.

*Everyone stays silent as they process this answer from their strange friend, a former forest dweller*

Kanaya: You....... bathed in a pond? Just out in the open?

Rosali: Yes. Why? Is that strange?

Terezi: I mean..........

Feferi: How did you clean your hair and body though?? Your hair always looks SO nice!

Rosali: Oh! I learned to make my own shampoos, conditioners, and body washes! ^v^ You'd be amazed what sort of selfcare and beauty products can be made with the right herbs if you harvest them just right!

Eridan:...... Of course..... *lets out a small chuckle as he wraps his arm around Rosali's shoulders* It alwways comes dowwn to your smarts about plants, doesn't it?

Vriska:*immediately bursts out into laughter* You had no problem going from pining for Alternia's princess to hooking up with the weird forest witch, did you, Eridan?

Terezi:*slaps Vriska in the back of her head*

Vriska: OW!

Eridan:*glares at Vriska for a moment, then looks back to his matesprit* So..... Howw wwas it, then?

Rosali: Honestly....... Probably the most relaxing experience I've had in a long time ^w^ *rests her head on Eridan's shoulder*

Tavros:........*glances around the room* Hey...... guys? Where's Gamzee?

Karkat: In his room, asleep.

Rosali: Asleep? *turns around to look at the clock on the wall, which reads 2 PM*

Karkat: Yeah....... I don't know. Ever since his psychotic episode a month ago where he went on his rampage and almost killed us all, ever since he got off of sopor for good, he's just..... been sleeping way more than usual. And not in a narcoleptic kind of way like Jade.

Feferi: He's just..... sleeping more? How much more?

Karkat:*shrugs* I don't know.... 12.... maybe 16 hours? Sometimes 20?

Lisa: 20 hours????? He's a Troll, not a fecking possum!

Rose: I noticed it too, to be honest...... I haven't really seen much of Gamzee since Dave, Lisa and I got here. If he's not helping us with projects, he just sleeps, or he'll come out late at night to get himself food. Hm.......

Tavros: Do you think he's....... okay?......

Kanaya:.......*puts down her teacup and stands up from the couch*

Tavros: ????? Kanaya??

Kanaya: Whatever the case, that clown probably has the worst hygiene out of all of us on this damn meteor. All the times we met him in person back home, didn't you all notice how unkempt Gamzee always was??

Tavros: Well........ You know his Lusus wasn't exactly around for most of his life...... I think that could be part of it......

Kanaya: Believe me, that thought has crossed my mind I can't even tell you how many times. But our Lusii are all gone. We're all under one roof now, on this floating rock we all will be stuck on together for the next 3 years...... and after a month of all of us rotting away with no proper way to clean ourselves, we FINALLY have access to clean water, and cleaning products for ourselves. So I'll be DAMNED if that boy goes even one more second without cleaning that damn mat of hair on his head!

Rosali:........ Kanaya's right. A clean body means a clean mind and soul, and Gamzee is in desperate need of ALL of those. *stands up from where she was sitting with Eridan*

Karkat: Wait..... What the hell are you two--

Kanaya: Karkat? Leave your moirail to us. We've got this.......

Rosali: Agreed, *immediately pulls out a sponge and a clear bottle of one of her homemade body washes* We're going to give Gamzee the cleansing of a lifetime.......

*With that, Kanaya and Rosali immediately march down the hallway where all the bedrooms are, heading straight to Gamzee's room*

Terezi:......... Should we interfere?

Karkat:...... You know what? No. Besides the fact Gamzee fucking needs this, you know how those two are when their minds are set on something...... Rosali especially, when it comes to making sure we all practice self-care. I'd rather not get between 2 overbearing maternal figures and their incessant need to make someone take care of themselves.

Dave:..... Huh..... You know, I just realized..... *pauses*...... What the hell does Gamzee look like under his facepaint exactly?

Later

Gamzee:*lets out a surprised yelp as hes shoved into his shower with only his boxers on* What the mothafuck, gals?????

Kanaya: Gamzee. Trust us, this is for your own good. *holds up a bottle of shampoo* You're WAY overdue for this deep cleaning.

Rosali: Exactly. Your aura has been in need of this type of healing for a long time, and its time we provided that healing! *holds up her bodywash and sponge* We promise, after this, you'll feel like a whole new you that you'll be proud of!

Gamzee: Huh.....? Look, guys, i know you're trying to be helpful, but--

*Gamzee doesn't finish his sentence, as Kanaya immediately pulls the shower lever and turns it on, activating the water to a scalding temperature*

Gamzee: !!!!!!!!!!!!!! *yelps out as the water immediately burns his skin, and he tries to escape its scalding wrath*

Rosali: !!!!!!!!!!! *holds onto Gamzee as he tries to make his escape* Kanaya, that's too hot! We're cleaning him, not melting him!

Kanaya: Right, right, my bad, *turns the lever to a lower, still warm temperature* Apologies, Gamzee. Is that better?

Gamzee:...... By a mothafucking long shot. Look--

*With that, Kanaya and Rosali immediately get to work on helping Gamzee with his self-care routine; While Kanaya does a deep cleaning on Gamzee's hair, Rosali begins scrubbing his body firmly but gently*

Gamzee:........... What is this? Why the mothafuck is this happening?

Rosali: Because you're our friend, Gamzee! And we love you and want to see you thrive with the rest of us! But to thrive is to take care of yourself, which you have neglected to do for a really long time! But we're here to help where your Lusus failed, and we're going to make sure you develop the habits needed to keep yourself in perfect health and balance! Look! Your aura is already getting healthier as we speak!

Kanaya: I don't know anything about auras, but Rosali is right! You can't at your best mentally if you're not at your best physically, Gamzee! So let us help you, okay?..... Friend?

Gamzee:............*smiles a little, letting out a small laugh* Yeah.... Sure..... thanks...... Heh.... My hair has been kind of a bitch the last few times I tried to mothafucking brush it.

Kanaya: Yeah......... *pulls out a hairbrush* This..... is probably going to hurt...... *moves the hairbrush towards Gamzee's hair*

*As Kanaya brushes out the first strand of Gamzee's hair, the Purple blood lets out a loud yelp, very similar to Goofy's screams in the old Disney cartoons, which echoes all through the meteor*

Later

*The entire meteor crew are still sitting in the common room, waiting to hear from Kanaya and Rosali on Gamzee's cleanliness status. After a moment, Kanaya and Rosali finally make their appearance again, both looking proud of themselves*

Rosali: Everyone! Lady Trolls, gentletrolls, and of course, the humans! ^v^

Kanaya: We know you all have been waiting very patiently for news on Gamzee, and..... well, we're proud to finally introduce......

Kanaya and Rosali:*hold out their arms in a theatrical manner* The new and improved GAMZEE MAKARA!!!!!!!!~

Dave:............ I already know where this is going, and I'm not letting this moment slip. *pulls out a boombox, and a CD, placing the CD in the boombox and pressing play*

Rose:......... Was that a Bon Jovi CD?

Dave: Rose? Just trust me on this. *holds up the radio above his head, looking like John Cusack in Say Anything*

*Gamzee makes his appearance from the hallway as Kanaya and Rosali make way for him....... Dave timing it perfectly, "Bad Medicine" by Bon Jovi begins to play as Gamzee comes into full view for everyone...... His hair is much cleaner and less messy, and he's still wearing his normal clothes..... But what really catches everyone off guard is that for once, Gamzee isn't wearing his usual clown makeup. His face looks completely normal, like any other Troll for once....... But not only is this a rare sight on its own..... It actually turns out that without his makeup, Gamzee is actually really, REALLY attractive on the outside.... Maybe the most physically attractive Troll on the meteor, which shouldn't be surprising, as Purple bloods are known to age very well and tend to be pretty good-looking thanks to their Highblood genes, but still. This? Move aside, Handsome Squidward, because Handsome Gamzee is in town now*

Gamzee: Heh...... *runs his hand through his hair* Damn, man..... Heh..... guess I needed that deep cleaning more than I thought. I actually.... feel kinda good. Better than I think I have in a while...... Thanks, girls. I owe you both one.

Kanaya: Don't mention it, Gamzee. We're just happy to provide a helping ha--...... Guys?

*Besides the music still playing on Dave's radio, the room is completely silent, as everyone just stares at Gamzee and his new look, completely frozen. One might think that its just because they're all not used to seeing Gamzee without his makeup, as Purple bloods are almost never without their makeup, its practically a part of a Purple blood's entire identity as members of the clown cult...... But if examined closely? It's pretty clear that EVERYONE is having an "OH NO, HE'S HOT!" moment in their heads. Except for Terezi, who can't see Gamzee's new look, of course*

Terezi:........ What? Why do you guys all smell so shocked all of a sudden?

Gamzee: Uh......... *lets out a slight laugh* Hey. What's up? Is there something up with my face?

Vriska:.......... You could say that.......

Karkat:......... That's what you look like without makeup?.....

Lisa: Wait. He's your moirail and you NEVER saw him without makeup????

Karkat: PURPLES NEVER TAKE OFF THEIR MAKEUP! It's a thing, okay?????

Equius:....... I...... I think i need another towel......

Nepeta:.......... Me too, Eqkitty........

Sollux:............. Why is it always the fucking dumbasses or stoners that end up being complete heartthrobs compared to the rest of us??

Feferi: Sollux!

Eridan Fef? I think for once, I havve to agree wwith Sollux.......

Tavros:......................

Gamzee:*immediately sees the look on Tavros' face*...... *chuckles* Sup, Tav?

Tavros: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Huh??????

Gamzee: Purrbeast got your tongue? Or did you see a wicked ghost?

Tavros:........ I........ *immediately stands up from his seat* I think I need a minute to.... Uh..... Just..... check something in my room!

*Tavros immediately bolts for the hallway, heading straight for his bedroom and slamming the door behind him, his back pressed against his door for a moment*

*On the meteor, 1 month before the start of the 3 year journey*

*In the med bay, just one day after all the Trolls escaped to the meteor to avoid being murdered by Jack Noir, Rosali lies on the cold metal floor, covered with only a single blanket, and a pillow under her head while she lies in a deep sleep, recovering from all the strange injuries covering her body from whatever planet Sgrub subjected her to during the entire 3 weeks that the session lasted. While the strange witchy Troll sleeps, Gamzee is currently leaning against the wall as he watches her sleep, having taken it upon himself to check on her and see how she's doing*

Gamzee:.........*sighs, resting the back of his head against the wall behind him*...... Shit, girl....... Heh...... God Tier?..... You and Vriska?..... *laughs a bit* How the mothafuck did that happen?....... Fuck...... Not gonna lie..... I'm a little jealous....... But..... That's still pretty fucking wicked for you both. Wherever this meteor takes us, maybe she'll get to..... i don't know, use her light stealing abilities for something good?..... And you'll have your bitching healing powers to help us out if one of us gets hurt..... Thank the Messiahs for that. We need a fucking healer, if you ask me......

*For a moment, Gamzee goes quiet..... He has a bottle of Faygo in his hand, which he takes a sip of, ending up downing what little of the beverage was left in the bottle before he realizes its all gone. He sees a trashcan nearby, which he carefully aims the bottle towards, and after tossing the Faygo bottle towards the trashcan like he was tossing a basketball towards a hoop, he actually manages to make it go in*

Gamzee:*grins victoriously* Fuck yeah, haha! :0).......... *his smile slowly fades as he looks over to Rosali*....... Hey. Rosa? Look....... *pauses*....... I don't know if I'm up and telling you this because you're in this weird little coma of yours, or if its just because you're always a good listener when someone's got something fucking with them on the inside...... Even if I know you don't exactly trust me, which..... who can blame you?.... Clowns haven't exactly been the nicest to witches for a long mothafucking time...... but..... Since its just you and me here, i...... really gotta get something off my chest here, while I actually have the chance to say it to someone who's not even awake to judge me. But....... *pauses*....... *sighs*...... Here's the thing....... All my mothafucking life, I had these...... dreams...... No..... visions, really....... and they've always been the same if I wasn't waking up on Prospit..... I'm always seeing the Dark Carnival, all of us there together, just..... basking in its fucking Mirthful glory...... and then at the center of it all is..... well.........*pauses*........ I don't even know how to say this out loud...... it feels like saying it is just..... cementing what i know is coming...... But......... *lets out a strained laugh*...... I think sooner or later, The Messiahs are finally going to be making their move........ and I think..... they want me to do their bidding...... Me. Maybe they wanted it to be me all along before I ended up being the last Purple blood in existence....... And..... well..... I should feel honored, right? Who wouldn't be mothafucking happy to be chosen by The Mirthful Messiahs themselves? *pauses*........ But..... lately...... I don't know...... Heh...... all our sopor slime up and ran out..... probably my fault, I haven't stopped making pies since we got here....... and I think I'm already feeling the effects wear off of me....... Every second that passes, where things..... well..... where it doesn't feel like there's miracles everywhere...... It's making me wonder if I'm even the one The Messiahs are looking for........ Or if I even want such an honor bestowed on me to begin with........ *trails off, going quiet for a moment, when he suddenly lets out another laugh*....... Look...... Rosali, I know you wouldn't get this...... You'd probably be telling me some crazy mothafucking shit about how I should fight the influence of The Messiahs.... Be handing me a crystal to fight em off, or some shit........ But....... Trust me, if you had even an ounce of Purple in your blood, you'd understand........ Not that I can ever expect a follower of Mother Alternia to understand......... *trails off once more*........ Bottom line is..... I'm the last Purple there is. I have a duty to uphold....... and I can't let anything or anyone stop me from the work I'll have to do....... But..... I promise..... once we all get to the Dark Carnival? We'll be happier there...... all of us.......

*Once again, Gamzee goes quiet, still leaning against the wall, as he lets his thoughts continue to wander...... He doesn't say or do anything more after spilling his feelings like this, just lets out a quiet sigh*

Gamzee:.......... I just hope Karbro and Tav will be as understanding as you probably would be if you actually heard me just now........ Tavros tries to understand my beliefs, but Karkat? Well...... I don't know...... I know he doesn't mean it when he talks a lot of shit about the things I go on about....... *pauses*...... I guess..... *laughs a little again* Really and truly, sometimes I wonder why he feels pale for me to begin with....... I mean...... I know he's a mutant....... if this were Alternia, I know another Purple wouldn't hesitate to fucking bludgeon him on the spot if they saw just a spec of his blood...... He's probably scared I'd do the same to him....... But--

*Gamzee's monologing is suddenly interrupted when, from afar, he suddenly hears the sound of someone screaming out in agonizing pain...... Not just anyone, but Tavros, Gamzee's flushed crush*

Gamzee: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......... Tav?? Fuck.......!

*Immediately, Gamzee bolts out of the med bay and to the nearest teleporter to take him to where the screams are coming from. When he steps on, the teleporter takes Gamzee to the computer lab, where he is Immediately exposed to a sight he was not at all prepared for*

Gamzee: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Before Gamzee is a BEYOND bloody sight, bronze colored blood spilling all over the floors, and almost everyone on the meteor standing frozen in horror at the source of the bloodshed; At the center of it all is Tavros, who's lower half was completely severed from his body, while Kanaya and Equius stand close to him as they try to help him while he screams in agonizing pain........ Gamzee is quick to notice that Kanaya is holding her chainsaw, which is now covered in the same bronze blood spilling from Tavros*

Gamzee: TAVROS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *immediately runs off the teleporter and tries to run towards Tavros, but before he could reach him, he's grabbed from behind by Feferi* LET ME GO, MOTHAFUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Feferi: WAIT! Kanaya and Equius are helping Tavros, just..... Just let them handle it, they know what they're doing!

*Karkat has already passed out on the floor, likely having fainted as soon as Tavros' lower half was severed from his body. Aradia, in her robot body, just stands by and watches with a mostly blank face, while Sollux immediately looks away from the gruesome sight, his hands over his eyes as he tries not to look. Nepeta just stands frozen in horror, and even Vriska, to everyone's surprise, looks shellshocked at what is happening in front of everyone. Terezi just grips her cane, glad that she can't see what's unfolding, but the overwhelming smell of Tavros' blood does not help matters at all...... Eridan seems the most sickened by this event out of everyone, as he quickly covers his mouth and runs to the farthest corner of the computer lab before kneeling down and vomiting on the spot*

Gamzee: What do you mean they know what they're doing?! WHY THE FUCK DID MARYAM CUT OFF TAVROS' FUCKING LEGS?!

*Tavros continues to scream in pain for a moment, but due to all the blood he's quickly losing, his screams soon weaken..... He starts to look alarmingly pale now, meaning if nothing is done soon, he's done for*

Kanaya: !!!!!!!!!!!! Damn......

Equius: Quick, we need get him to the lab! *pulls out a towel and wraps it around Tavros' severed hips to try and prevent further bleeding*

Sollux: Why the FUCK didn't you idiots think to do this there?! What went through your fucking heads to cut him in half HERE of all places?!

Kanaya: i....... I'm not sure..... We clearly didn't plan this out well enough...... Nevermind that, we need to hurry! Come on, Equius!

*As Tavros begins to breathe shakily and try to take in air, still whimpering from the pain he's in, Equius and Kanaya quickly and carefully pick him up and carry him to the teleporter..... As they do, they pass Gamzee and Feferi, where for a brief moment, Gamzee and the weakened Tavros manage to make eye contact with each other*

Tavros:....... G-..... Gam.....zee.........!

*Gamzee wants to say something; Something, anything to reassure the bronze blood and himself that he'll be okay, anything at all! But the Purple blood doesn't have the chance to think of anything, as Kanaya and Equius step onto the teleporter and take Tavros with them to Equius' new laboratory*

Gamzee:*stands frozen where Feferi holds him, staying eerily silent as he stares at the teleporter that just whisked Tavros away to where he's completely out of his reach*...........

*Feferi looks up at Gamzee; Normally, she's so used to seeing Gamzee so happy and smiling all the time, even if she knows that's because of the sopor pies he's always consuming on a daily basis...... This being the first time she's seen the clown so distraught, it's honestly a hard sight for her to take in, especially knowing that he's upset over Tavros being hurt. Only a few Trolls in the group are aware that Gamzee holds a deep affection for the Bronze blood..... and Feferi? It couldn't be clearer to her that Gamzee wants to he there for him*

Feferi:.......... Equius wanted to give Tavros new legs.

Gamzee:*looks down to the fishy princess, not saying a word*

Feferi:........ He found supplies to make a set of robotic legs, and..... he thought it would help the whole team, and Tavros especially, if he had the ability to walk again........ *pauses*....... I'm sure you know this already, but...... Tavros hated being wheelchair bound..... HATED it.......... I think...... I think he felt like he was a burden to us during the game, and Equius could sense it...... He just wants to help him..... and Kanaya's the only one with a tool that could help with the gruesome part....... *looks down*...... The only thing is that no one had a way to make the process less painful for Tavros..... and the only one that could probably do anything to help with that part is in a coma right now......

Gamzee:..................

Feferi: He'll be okay, Gamzee, I promise..... He's with Equius and Kanaya. With his robotic skills and her bedside manner, Tavros will be okay. I promise....... it just might be a few hours before anyone can see him.........

Gamzee:.......... Tavros........

A few hours later

*Gamzee is currently lying on the floor asleep outside the door leading to Equius' lab, having stayed out here ever since the Indigo blood and Jadeblood took Tavros from the computer lab and brought him here. He knew the process to give Tavros his new legs would take a while, and he trusts Equius and Kanaya, but...... Gamzee just couldn't bear to stay away from Tavros after witnessing the pain he was in, witnessing all the blood he lost before, seeing just how pale he was before he was teleported away....... He just wanted to be as close to him as possible. And now, here Gamzee is, asleep, still waiting for news on Tavros' condition*

*While the Purple blood sleeps, the doors open, and Kanaya makes her appearance, looking down and seeing Gamzee sleeping. Based on the lack of reaction on her part, it seems Kanaya knew for some time now that Gamzee was out here, waiting to be able to see Tavros*

Kanaya:..........*sighs, shaking her head, kneeling down to Gamzee and lightly shaking his shoulder to wake him up*

Gamzee:*stirs a little in his sleep, before opening his eyes and waking up, taking a moment to register the cold metal floor he's laying on* Huh......?

Kanaya: Its done, Gamzee.

Gamzee:...... !!!!!!!!!! *quickly sits up, looking up at Kanaya, a panicked look in his eyes*

Kanaya: He's fine, Gamzee. Equius was able to attach Tavros' new legs. He hasn't tested them out, however..... He's asleep at the moment. *pauses*....... He.... well.... He's still really weak from all the blood he lost. His body will of course produce more for him soon enough, but....... *sighs and shakes her head* If we had any of the fancy medical equipment that the Empire had, I wouldn't have had to resort to using my chainsaw to begin with. *pauses*....... I am sorry you had to witness that gruesome scene before, Gamzee...... I know you care a lot about Tavros. I just hope you know, if there were other options, i would have gladly used them.

Gamzee: No! Fuck, I mean.... I get it. I get it..... Feferi told me the deal after you rushed Tav here. *pauses*....... Thank you..... *lets out a slight laugh*....... He'll be mothafucking ecstatic when it clicks that he'll be able to walk again...... Knowing Equius and his mad skills, it'll be like he still had his old legs........ He might have helped perform a mothafucking miracle for him.

Kanaya:*nods* In this case? I think i have to agree...... *pauses*..... Would you like to come in and see him?

*Gamzee doesn't even hesitate after hearing the question; He gets up on his feet and hurries past Kanaya and into the lab. When he enters, he's immediately greeted by the sight of Tavros lying asleep on the table where Equius had been working on all his projects ever since the group landed on this meteor....... First, Gamzee notices the hint of paleness still present in Tavros' face from all the blood he lost, dark circles under his eyes standing out like a sore thumb. For a moment, it makes Gamzee wonder just how tired Tavros really is deep down from the entire 3 weeks they all spent in the game. No one really knows this, but Gamzee has often come to visit Tavros' hive for days on end back on Alternia, and whenever the Bronze blood would fall asleep, Gamzee sometimes stayed up a little later just to be able to watch Tavros in his sleep and examine how peaceful he looks in his rest, compared to the constant state of anxiety he's always in while awake....... Did Tavros rest at all during the game? Or did he spend multiple days on end trying to fulfill the goals of his quest and reach God Tier, only for the latter part to be foiled when Jack Noir entered the picture? Gamzee also knows that Tavros spent most of the game teamed up with Vriska....... What the motherfuck did that spider bitch subject him to? More torment, he's sure. More chances to poke fun at him for the disability SHE gave him, no doubt....... After managing to snap out of these thoughts before they could spiral into more angry, hateful, destructive thoughts towards Vriska, Gamzee finally directs his sight towards the main reason for the earlier bloodshed, that being Tavros' new robot legs. Gamzee almost flinches at the sight of them, mostly from the memory of Tavros screaming in pain replaying in his head after his old legs were severed from his body. But... also from the knowledge that after almost an entire sweep of not being able to walk, Tavros may finally have his mobility back*

Gamzee:............

Equius: Ah. Highblood, *bows to him* Maryam told me you were waiting outside for news on the Lowblood's condition. *pauses*..... I have full confidence that his new appendages will be fully functional, but, I would still like to be sure of it and have him test them once he awakes. My only condition is that he avoids stairs at all costs for the time being.

Gamzee: Yeah..... Whatever you say, bro. *lets out a relieved laugh*...... I'm just fucking happy for him, man...... *pauses*...... You're a good dude, you know that?

Equius: !!!!!!!!!!!

Gamzee: You're uptight as a mothafucker, and you still need to get your chill on..... But you're a good dude, my man.

Equius: I..... Thank you, but.... I..... Uh....... *already beginning to sweat*...... I need a towel...... *immediately hurries off to find some towels*

Kanaya:*sighs and shakes her head*...... That boy is not right.

*A small groaning sound is heard, Gamzee and Kanaya immediately looking over and seeing as Tavros begins to slowly wake up*

Gamzee: !!!!!!!!!!! *hurries closer to the examination table and leans over Tavros*

Tavros:*groans a little more until he begins to open his eyes, blinking a few times as his vision adjusts...... When his vision clears up, the first thing he sees is Gamzee's face hovering just above his own*

Gamzee: Bro! Hey...... *smiles a little* Hey..... You okay?....... How you feeling, mothafucker?

Tavros:...... I....... I think..... I'm okay? Just..... tired...... I don't know why..... the last thing I remember--

*Tavros' eyes widen as soon as the memory comes back to him on how his legs were cut off before he passed out..... and then remembering why his legs were cut off to begin with, as he begins to quickly sit up*

Kanaya: !!!!!!!! Tavros, no sudden movements! You lost a lot of blood before the procedure, you're lucky to even be alive!

Gamzee:........................

Kanaya: !!!!!!!!! That's..... not to say...... *shakes her head* Nevermind. Everything went well with little to no complications, that's what counts. Once Equius gets back, he wants to run a test to make sure your new legs are working alright.

Tavros: Oh.... Uh..... Okay....... I..... I'm sure they'll work okay, won't they? I mean..... Equius is really good at all the machines he makes. One of the humans we've been talking to.... I think it was Dave? I don't really get the joke, but, he called Equius Donatello when they talked about his skills at buildings things...... I don't think anyone knows who Donatello is, though.

Kanaya: From what I gathered, thats the name of an artist from an Earth era known as the "Renaissance period", but...... I think the Donatello Dave was referring to is from some sort of Earth cartoon about talking Shellbeasts.

Tavros: Oh..... huh. That's cool.

*In that moment, Equius comes back, rubbing himself down with one of the many, MANY towels he owns on this meteor, immediately noticing that Tavros has woken up*

Equius: ! Ah, Lowblood. I--

Gamzee: Eq?

Equius: Yes, Highblood?

Gamzee:...... Just call him Tavros, okay? Stop it with all the "Lowblood" bullshit....... It's fucking insulting as fuck.

Equius: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!....... Y- Yes...... *bows again* Apologies, Highblood...... I'll try that again. *clears his throat* Tavros? I see you are awake now. On a scale of 1 to 10, are you in any sort of pain?

Tavros:........ Maybe a 2? Or 3?....... Nothing serious, just....... I think i might have a small headache from all the blood I lost earlier.......

Equius: Understandable. Sadly, we don't have any painkillers on hand for that at the moment, so all I can advise is you drink water and get some rest. But first and foremost, I feel it is best that we test your new appendages as soon as possible. Can you stand?

Tavros:...........*not sure how to really answer that, he just slowly pushes himself to sit up on the table, staring down at his legs for a moment*.......

*Seeming to put all his concentration into it, as if wanting to assure himself that this is all really happening, Tavros attempts to move his right mechanical foot..... and he actually manages to move it just a little bit*

Tavros: !!!!!!!!!!!..........

*Slowly but surely, with careful precision, feeling almost sure that this is all just a dream, Tavros slowly lifts his legs over the side of the table, his feet just inches above the floor. For a moment, he seems hesitant to stand, thinking if he tries to, he'll just fall over and embarrass himself*

Tavros:..........

Gamzee:.........*reaches out and holds both of Tavros' hands into his own*

Tavros: !!!!!!!!!! *looks up into Gamzee's eyes, surprised by this gesture*

Gamzee:.........*smiles at Tavros, probably the warmest, most affectionate smile Tavros has ever seen him display*....... Want me to help you?

Tavros:..........*says nothing, but he nods quietly, shyly looking back down to his legs*

*Carefully, Gamzee tightens his hold on Tavros' hands, helping him as the Bronze blood slowly lifts himself up from the table, and then stands on both feet on the floor. They both stay like this for a moment, just standing in that one spot while holding each other's hands, Gamzee letting Tavros have a minute to get used to actually standing for the first time since the initial incident with Vriska*

Tavros:*stares down at his new legs, waiting any minute for them to give out and for him to fall over, but when he realizes that's not happening, he lets out a small gasp. The more he realizes this is all really happening, the more overwhelmed he starts to feel*.......

Gamzee:....... Let me know when you want to walk.... I'll help you if you want, okay?

Tavros:........*nods slowly*...... I'm taking a step now.....

Kanaya: One at a time, okay Tavros? Don't force yourself, and don't rush anything.

Tavros:*nods again*.....

*With Gamzee's help as they continue to hold hands, Tavros begins to slowly take one step forward, and then another, and another after that. Slowly but surely, Tavros finds a steady pace as he continues to actually walk. Here he is, really walking, for the first time in an entire sweep. He can't believe this is happening.... Hell, he never thought he would actually get to experience this again..... For the longest time, he was sure he would forever stay confined to that wheelchair, forever limited in terms of what he can and can't do to help his friends. Hell, if not for Alternia's destruction, he was sure that he would have eventually been culled for his paralysis. But..... here he is. His original legs are gone, replaced by these mechanical ones, yes, but..... He's still walking again. Really, actually walking again*

Tavros:*the more he watches his legs moving by his command, the more his eyes begin to glisten, hardly able to believe this is really happening*.......... *at one point, he lets go of Gamzee's hands*

*For a moment, Gamzee's eyes widen in surprise that Tavros let go of him so suddenly, instinct telling him to reach out for him again..... But the Purple blood stops himself, just standing there and carefully watching Tavros, realizing that Tavros wants to prove he can do this on his own*

*Though Tavros is a little unbalanced at first without anyone to hold onto for support, Gamzee, Kanaya and Equius all watch carefully as he walks around the lab by himself. After a moment, he begins to steady himself, manages to straighten himself out, doing everything to get the hang of using these new legs all on his own, until finally, he finds a good pace for himself. These legs already almost feel so natural to him, he almost forgets that they're mechanical. They just.... feel so right*

Tavros:.........*smiles, the first real smile he's had on his face in a long, long time, happy tears filling his eyes*....... Oh my god........

Equius:........*feels something shift in his chest when he sees how happy Tavros is, smiling a little* I..... take it you like i--

Tavros;*walks to Equius and wraps his arms around him, hugging the Indigo blood tightly* Thank you, Equius......! Thank you...... Thank you, thank you, thank you.......! I never even thought that I would ever walk again, but.... you made it happen...... Thank you......!

Equius: !!!!!!!!!..... I....... *goes quiet for a moment, unsure how to respond to such affection from Tavros. He considers hugging him back, but knows that more than likely, he would end up hurting him with his uncontrollable strength. Even just patting him on the back could hurt him, so, Equius doesn't do anything to return the gesture, for Tavros' safety*.......*nods* Of course, Tavros. I'm..... happy to be of help. Just be careful not to do anything that might damage your new legs.....

Kanaya: He specifically insists you stay away from stairs until you ger a better handle of them.

Tavros: Right..... *pulls away from Equius, wiping the tears away* Right...... Thank you guys... Really, i.... I don't know what else to say, or.... how i can even pay you back.....

Equius: There is no need for such a thing. Just..... just that you enjoy being able to use your new appendages to the best of your ability. And that you are careful not to cause damage to them.

Tavros:*nods* Yeah..... Right. Thank you.....

*Overwhelmed with even more joy, Tavros begins to walk around a little more..... But, because he's still not used to these legs fully, he suddenly begins to fall over when one of his legs doesn't move on command, Gamzee quickly catching him*

Tavros: !!!!!!!!!!!!! *alarmed by how he was seconds away from falling hard on the ground, he takes a moment to collect himself mentally before he looks up the one who saved him just now*

Gamzee: Whoa there...... *smiles at him* Here..... Why don't I help you out again a little bit?...... Maybe we could walk around this meteor together, give your legs a little more practice?

Tavros:........*slowly stands back up straight with help from Gamzee so that they're at eye level with each other. Realizing he's finally at eye level with his best friend again after spending a sweep in that wheelchair, he finds himself looking into Gamzee's eyes...... Were the Purple blood's eyes always so..... warm? Full of affection like this?*

*Suddenly, in that moment, after everything the group has been through ever since Alternia was destroyed 3 weeks ago, its only here and now that Tavros realizes...... This is the first time he and Gamzee have actually spoken since their last online chat back home..... The very one that Tavros is honestly hoping Gamzee is too high to remember right now......*

TC: We cOuLd sPlIt a tin oF ThE PiMpEsT SnEeZe i GoT oN HaNd, BaKeD Up aLl sPeCiAl fOr yOu

TC: AnD ThEn mAyBe mAkE OuT A LiTtLe.

Tavros:...........

Kanaya: Tavros?

Tavros: !!!!!!!!! Huh??

Kanaya:...... Gamzee was wondering if you wanted to walk around the meteor with him to practice with your new legs?

Tavros: Oh.... Oh, yeah! Uh, sorry......*pauses, looking into Gamzee's eyes again. This time, he really does feel something different about this interaction with Gamzee..... Oddly enough, it's not awkward like he thought it would be after their last private conversation on Trollian*........ *nods* Yeah...... *smiles a little* I think.... that might help me a lot..... thanks, Gamzee.

Gamzee:......*chuckles a bit* Not a problem, my man. *pauses*......... Hey. I was right all along, wasn't i?

Tavros: Huh?

Gamzee:..... "If miracles are real, he'll get off of those wheels". Right?

Tavros:..........*unable to help but smile at that, a faint blush on his cheeks*..... Yeah..... *laughs a bit* Yeah..... Guess you were right all along......