[network] @igjwerkekhgjghkl; video, morning of 352 [open]

[fuckingwolverine]

[It's been over a week since Lilly bolted from Kesara, during which time she's stayed entirely off of the network. But she's had a chance to calm down, and so this morning, she's decided she wants to make something very clear.

The tablet is lying flat and facing up, giving everyone a very nice view of the ceiling and no view at all of Lilly. This seems to be more by chance than by purposeful choice, though - she's clearly close by, judging by her voice, and every so often she'll lean into view and give everyone a brief shot of her arm or hair. She, like so many other people, is covered in a mysterious pattern of red lines.

Before starting, she takes a deep breath. This is going to involve more talking than she usually likes to do, but she really wants to get her point across.]

Stay away. Don'wanna go wif you. Don'wanna go wif-- anybody. Stay away.

[What a friendly child she is.]

Don'touch don'grab don'take DON'T. Don'like it. I don't. Like. It. Too many too loud too hard hate it.

[She finishes with an irritable snarl, then bats the tablet away, sending it spinning dizzyingly across the floor. Its films the ceiling and distant sounds of scrabbling for a few minutes before cutting out on its own.]

Comments

[fuckingwolverine]

Mm! S'a snake.

[motherserpent]

Maybe a mythical snake.

[Like...the one she'd run away from in the hospital....]

Like...not real.

[fuckingwolverine]

No.

[She shakes her head firmly.]

Issssaw it.

[Hissing like a snake is actually purely coincidental there; she just struggles with the s + vowel combination sometimes.]

S'yours.

[motherserpent]

...That's what the other guy said, too.

[This muttered uneasily to herself as Tess wraps her arms tight around her body.]

[fuckingwolverine]

Yours.

[She says smugly. Someone agrees with her! Success!]

[motherserpent]

Well, it's gone now.

[And that should be a relief, right? Giant, flying snake. But if it was hers...somehow....]

[fuckingwolverine]

Good.

[Now it can't bite her. You're safe, Tess.]

[motherserpent]

Yeah, but now it's just loose somewhere. Unless it's dead.

[fuckingwolverine]

Hope issdead.

[Truly she is a friend to all the animals.]

[motherserpent]

Wow, kid, you don't like snakes much, do you?

[fuckingwolverine]

Biting.

[Never mind that it had been cool-looking and she'd liked waving at it over video that one time. She has a capricious nature and right now, she's thinking about snakebites. She taps her forearm with a finger.]

Hurt, bleed whisstuff.

[tl;dr she had a snakebite that oozed white puss once, and it was not fun.]

[motherserpent]

Ahh, I see. Was it a big snake that bit you? That must have hurt a lot. When'd that happen?

[fuckingwolverine]

In da woods.

[She goes quiet for a moment.]

Mama helped.

[motherserpent]

[Child, if you have a mother why are you like this.]

Yeah? I bet she helped you with all kinds of things.

[fuckingwolverine]

Ever'thing.

[She pauses like she's going to stop there - and then, amazingly, she elaborates. Blame her ever-increasing mania.]

Food'n games'n staying safe'n... an' sleeping, an' being happy.

[But not talking or toilet training or social interaction. Hashtag oops.]

[motherserpent]

That is what moms are supposed to do. You two spend a lot of time in the woods together?

[fuckingwolverine]

Awways in the woods.

[She confirms.]

In da cabin.

[motherserpent]

Oh, you grew up in a cabin? Just you and your mama out there in the woods?

[fuckingwolverine]

And Victoria.

[Whose name she, strangely, can pronounce perfectly fine.]

[motherserpent]

...Who's Victoria?

[fuckingwolverine]

Sister.

[motherserpent]

Didn't know you had a sister. Do you miss her?

[fuckingwolverine]

Mm.

[She misses her a lot.]

Wanner to come here. 'S nice here.

[She thinks Victoria would like it. She's completely wrong, but is operating under the childish, self-centered assumption that if she likes it, surely Victoria would, too. Why wouldn't she?]

[motherserpent]

[Yeah, Tess isn't going to wish this place on any kid, not even another kid who's probably just as weird and off-putting as Lilly.]

I'm sorry. It's hard when you can't be with someone you love. But it's...not really nice here, you know?

[fuckingwolverine]

Yes.

[She sounds utterly and completely convinced of this.]