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[Sure enough, when Henry was far enough away to be out of sight, Gamzee could sense him in the forest, his leafy ears perking up and flicking a bit to listen for sounds of snapping twigs or rustling leaves in the distance. It wasn't just sound, though, it was the innate feeling of something else among the presence of nature. Of course, Henry was a part of nature, as much as he could be, but he was still part human, or part monster, or part other along with it. He was harder to sense than any other monster would have been, but he was still sensed nonetheless.]

[When Henry gets close enough to speak to, Gamzee is high up in the branches of a very tall tree. In a flurry of both flesh and bark limbs, he was twisting and bounding down the tree with the skill of a squirrel on drugs, claws hooking into the bark and having the branches twist on themselves to carry him down the rest of the way to the trunk, where he hopped off into the snow.]

Haha, yo, brother! Have yourself any motherfuckin' trouble all at findin' the joint?

_{[Once he hears the scratching of claws on bark, he pulls his attention away from a couple of strangled-looking saplings that were pushing through the snow. He had been wishing them well, it was all he had the energy to do.]

[AND THEN GAMZEE ARRIVES. Henry tenses up and his features shift slightly to hide any emotion that somehow might have made its way to the surface. The troll still scares him to a degree. He's also busy sort of hating himself and regretting that narrow hero streak that tried to rear its head those long nights ago in the fog.]}

No. The evergreens are chatty though.

[Gamzee is in much better spirits than Henry, it would seem. Maybe it's because he's wrapped up in his winter coat, given to him upon his arrival here by a generous merperson. Despite that, he was looking as ragged as his fellow nymph, plant-wise. The flowers in his hair were wilted and missing a few petals. They'd fallen off entirely throughout the course of the winter, but always tried in vain to regrow themselves.]

Mmm, ain't say motherfuckin' nothin' to my ass. Maybe they ain't likin' me.

[Gamzee was more fond of the tree he'd just climbed down from. He looked up at it fondly.]

Ain't never found one I all was likin' to be talkin' at more all than what's this motherfuckin' one is. You ever got one what's the most specialest to you, motherfucker?

[He looks back to Henry, smiling genuinely.]

_{[Henry shivers as he picks his way through Gamzee's speech to figure out what the actual fuck he's being asked. His eyes wander to the tree and the crown that loomed over them. It's really impressive. He can see why Gamzee likes it so much. A very very patient tree.]}

Yeah. Back in Bavan.

_{[His crinkly tail swayed behind him. His brain had made the association and like a withering vine leaning toward the light, he'd dragged his pale striped ass out here. Okay. He had Gamzee. Why wasn't he feeling better yet?]

[Henry gazes down at his feet which are trying very hard to root him to the spot.]}

[Gamzee glances down, as well, face blooming into an expression of amusement as he watches Henry's toes attempt to dig into the cold, hard dirt.]

Does a brother of the green all somethin' wicked motherfuckin' good to be all gettin' his ass up out at the freshest of fucking airs, don't it the fuck not, yo?

[He finally lifts his head, looking back up at Henry as he asks his question.]

Ain't never all was one for the mother fuckin' trees at before what's now, though. Liked me them wide-opens. See far out, see the mother fucking sky and shit, fuckin' all that motherfuckin' noise.

[He was babbling on, probably as a result of being driven stir-crazy from the lack of social interaction he'd had for the past few days. It was amazing how little time it took for him to itch for a conversation, even though he'd previously gone years in seclusion back before arriving here. Suddenly curious, Gamzee raised an eyebrow, folding his withering green arms over his chest and tilting his head. His dreadlocks fell to the side, weighed down by the plant growth entwined with them.]

You all come a long way just to make mother fucking small talk, bro.

_{[Words. How do words. He was feeling stupider and stupider as the minutes oozed by. He clenches his hands and keeps his eyes trained firmly on his roots.]}

I used to live in a big city.

_{[What had made Gamzee release spores before? Scaring him? He does not want to scare this guy. There's no way that could end well. He wants to stay on good terms with him.]}

I don't really know how to make any other kind of talk.

I ain't never seen none other than in a motherfuckin' game. Surely motherfuckin' ain't all was never living in one. 'Til the fuck now, I guess.

[Did Henry really just come all the way out into the middle of the woods to talk about where they used to live? If Gamzee had learned anything about his best little buddy from living with him for the past four months, it was that Henry was not very articulate. If he was after something, it would take him hours to just spit it out.]

Heh... think I got all at least what's that motherfuckin' shit figured the fuck out about you by now.

[Gamzee always got the feeling it was so easy to twist Henry around until he got the guy feeling uncomfortable. As much as he didn't really have a problem with the son of a birch, he didn't make any exceptions when it came to entertaining himself at someone else's expense.]

You wanna play the "yes or motherfuckin' no" game?

_{[Henry cringes and looks at his feet EVEN HARDER as Gamzee asks his question. This is so stupid. He shouldn't have come out here. What was he thinking? That he'd just waltz out here, stand around the guy, and suddenly feel better?]

[Overhead, a magpie screams.]}

Wu-AUGH!

_{[Henry wheels around, thorns and claws at the ready. WHERE IS IT WH E R E IS THE THING?]}

HONK!!!

[Gamzee was definitely not expecting Henry to suddenly whirl around and shout like a crazy person. Sure, the guy was a little out there (weren't they all...), but compulsive screaming wasn't a trait he had usually associated with the guy. He honked in response to the sudden, abrupt stimuli, jumping about a foot in the air and snapping his eyes open.]

WHAT THE MOTHERFUCK, BRO!? You paranoid as fuck!!

[Phew... it was... only a bird. As Gamzee silently willed his little leafy heart to stop hammering in his chest, he noticed he'd puffed out a nice, thin cloud of pale spores. It wasn't nearly as dense or as large as what he was capable of producing in dire moments, but being surprised enough sometimes got him to involuntarily set off his defense mechanisms. He waved part of the floating spores away in annoyance, having grown quite tolerant of their effect by now. However, if Henry wanted to get in on some of their sedative effects, he need only sidle up a little closer to Gamzee.]

_{[As the bird flutters away, Henry wilts and covers his face with his huge claw hands.]}

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm under a lot of stre--

_{[IT GOT IN HIS MOUTH. Henry starts coughing and waves his hand as well on instinct but then freezes. No. No, this is what he wanted! Come back freedom spores! Come back! He loves you! The winter strangled horror protagonist takes a few unsteady steps before falling face-forward into some brush thanks to his toes taking root.]}

This is fine.

[Honking once more and practically flail-jumping out of the way, Gamzee's arms fling out in an attempt to break Henry's fall, while his body propels him the opposite direction. As a result, he's completely useless, and can only watch as the other nymph takes a nosedive into the brush.]

[Wringing his bony hands and taking a few steps towards the fallen tree, he peers down at the sad lump of birch.]

Uhh... weird fuckin' place for a snooze, brother...

_{[For a long moment he is still. The bird overhead calls again.]

[Is he dead?]

[Henry wishes.]

[Slowly the birch pushes himself onto his knees and sucks in the deepest breath he can and holds it. When he lets it out, he slouches over, covering his face with a twisted hand. May as well come out with it.]}

I can't smoke. I can't be near fire.

[It takes awhile for Gamzee to make the mental leap from "Henry is asleep on the ground" to "Henry can't smoke". It was asking a bit much of him to piece together the fact that the guy had come all the way out here just to get a whiff of Gamzee's special spores.]

[He crouches down before Henry, staring at him with the most dumbfounded look his stupid green face will allow. Eyes half-lidded, mouth open and showing all of its fillings to the world.]

...Motherfucker, what?

_{[He moved his hand from his face so that he could hold them both out, as if laying the situation out for him on a nice banner.]}

You're made of pot, Gamzee. I can't smoke. I'm going crazy.

[A look of realization dawned over Gamzee's face like the Light of the Gods had just shone down upon him. His mouth was moving in erratic patterns, like he didn't know which emotion to feel first. Shock, amusement, relief, hysterics...]

Hahahaha! Bro!

[He laughed heartily, tilting his head back to honk up at the treetops.]

The fuck you ain't just all motherfuckin' gettin' your say on all at that noise what's like, way mother fucking earlier, dog!? Shit, a gangsta be all sorts of goddamn willing to get his assists on in that department, my most anxious of motherfuckers!

[Slapping Henry's shoulder sympathetically, Gamzee motioned with his hand for him to stand up. He was going to lead him to a spot more conducive to chillaxing. A hollowed-out tree he'd passed by earlier.]

Come on, brother o' mine. The medicine man up and got all just what you be fuckin' needing at.

_{[With his head hung low, Henry accepts his fate and stands. He trudges his way to the tree, trying not to look at Gamzee. This could have gone better, but it could have also gone a lot worse. And the guy was being friendly instead of creepy which is always a plus.]}

Thanks...

_{[Surely he would calm down when spring arrived, right? He wouldn't need to be coming out here all the time. Henry's poor crinkly tail twisted up anxiously.]}

[Gamzee's entire life is a teeter-totter between friendly and creepy. He found a great new spot for his treehive today, and he's smack dab in the middle of the forest, surrounded by trees and greens and the smells of everything in between. It's enough to put any nymph in a good mood. Well... save for Henry, at least...]

Don't even all be motherfuckin' mentioning up on it, motherfucker. Though, uhhh... next time, why all ain't you just be givin' at me that noise all motherfuckin' straight instead of droppin' yourself all at a motherfucker's feet like a crazy son of a birch...

[He half-grinned, looking at Henry with a few yellow fangs poking out from between his lips. Once they were at the big sequoia, Gamzee hopped down and ducked inside the gigantic, hollow trunk. Not even bothering to dust the dirt floor off, he plopped down and folded his plant legs beneath him, glancing up again.]

Y'all need a fuckin' hand gettin' your ass all up in the crib, yo?

I feel like a crazy son of a birch.

_{[He hardly noticed himself repeating Gamzee as he carefully climbed in and sat down awkwardly next to him, long root legs stuck out in front of him. A few thin stalks of white fungus were already climbing up his neck and arms.]}

I can't stop thinking about the director. The cops have to be looking for me. They're going to find me.

Mmhmmm... 's what all you fuckin' get for not all bein' to get at the bud in so goddamn long, bro. Here.

[Gamzee reaches into the pocket of his coat, digging around until he produces a ball of saran wrap. Carefully peeling the layers off of each other, he unwraps a gigantic, delicious-looking fudge brownie. It's no secret what kind of brownie it is, and he's sure he doesn't have to explain it as he hands the open treat to his suffering friend.]

Fudgy gods be all smiling down upon you today, motherfucker. Stuff that shit up in your goddamn trap and shut the fuck up 'bout eatin' dudes.

[He grinned, relaxing back against the wall of the tree and throwing his legs over Henry's. It was big in there, but not that big. To Gamzee, who loved sharing space with people anyway, it was perfect for hanging out with someone in.]

Ain't no one after your ass, bro, chill the fuck out.

_{[He accepts the brownie and gazes dully down at it. Blurry college memories surface, but only for an instant. If he thinks about it too much he'll get a paranoid high and then nobody will have a good time. Henry crams half the thing into his mouth and chews awkwardly. It's been a while since he's eaten anything that wasn't Rin's specially prepared people stews.]

[As he waits for it to take effect, he starts picking the pale fungus off of his legs.]}

Does this ever grow on you?

[That's right, Henry, no one wants a neurotic hyperventilating tree twitching around. Justtt relaxxx...]

....What, the brownies? Eh, they fuckin' good as a treat, lords above motherfuckin' know I got the sweetest of mother fuckin' tooths, but I like myself the bubbly-bubbly machine most of motherfuckin' all.

[Gamzee smiles calmly, totally misunderstanding the question and staring at Henry to try and see if he can pinpoint when the drugs hit him.]

No, I--

_{[Henry feels himself clamming up so he drops it, too shy to correct Gamsee. Instead he just chews and looks at the brownie half in his hand. Eventually his shoulders untense and his ragged leafy ears lift to take in the winter sounds of the forest. Foraging deer. A dove somewhere. Somebody was humming.]

[Oh wait that was him. Oh well.]}

[Gamzee is too unobservant to notice Henry trying to correct him. He just stares up the hollowed-out trunk to see how far the hole goes. After a while, he pulls out a second brownie. He was going to offer it to Henry, but decides instead to begin eating it, himself. He would have lit up the joint he had in there, but he didn't think that would go over to well with his buddy.]

Hahaha, you chill, bro...?

[Munching on his own treat, Gamzee reaches over with a free arm to push at Henry's shoulder playfully.]

Hmmm...Mhmm. Better.

_{[He massages the side of his head to help the muscles finish un-tensing, still humming. No real song in particular though. Luckily, his head's too foggy for him to feel any kind of guilt. He also finds it comforting that the brownie isn't nearly as strong as the time he got blasted in the alleyway. He still had a vague idea of what day it was.]

[The shove pulls him out of a half daydream and startles him into drawing away. He does NOT want to get stuck to this guy again.]}

[Gamzee is beginning to hum along, as well, even though he has no idea what the fuck song Henry is singing, he's gonna try to hum along to it anyway. They probably sound like the worst humming duo to ever exist, but he's too high to notice. To him, this is the best duet he's ever heard, not to toot his own horn or anything.]

[When Henry recoils, Gamzee's face draws up into a concerned expression... though it's more of a hazy concern, at best.]

Whoaaa... ain't gonna hurt you, motherfucker!

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WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, GAMZEE MAKARA. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 420.42.042.04 * G-MAK has joined 420.42.042.04 <G-MAK> YO, MY RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS AND GODDAMN BITCHES. <G-MAK> if you all is wanting to be all placing at a mother fucking order with me. <G-MAK> LEAVE AT A BROTHER SOME WICKED FUCKING TEXTUALS. <G-MAK> oh and another motherfuckin thing. <G-MAK>** SEXTS IS ALWAYS FUCKIN WELCOME. ;o) ▉