Habits

This interlude deals with serious psychological issues and contains implied acts of violence. As such, reader discretion is advised.

Habits

Children of Ursus Next The Chosen

Characters

Ceobe Courier Dur-nar Gitano Gummy Istina Spot Zima Leto

Backgrounds

1 2 3

“

Dur-nar points out one of Gummy's strange habits when attacking. Gummy tries to overcome it, but fails. Her habits are all left by past trauma, and may take a bit of time to fade.

”

<Background black>
Gummy is the second one in her dorm to wake up every morning. And she has a habit. As soon as Istina wakes her, they share a handshake. Gummy then goes next door to wake Zima in the same fashion. Whether "The General" decides to shake her hand or not depends entirely on her mood.
<Background 1>
6:30 a.m. Rhodes Island Dormitories – Istina and Gummy's Room
Gummy	Zzz...zzz... (It's morning.) (Istina should be here soon.) Zzz...zzz... (But she sure is taking her time today. Maybe she's been working too hard?) (But I'm gonna be late if I keep waiting for her. C'mon, Gummy, just get up already!) Zzz...zzz... (You can do it, girl!) Zzz... Nnhhah!
[Gummy wakes up.]
Gummy	I'm up! It's so dark... What happened to my night light? Istina? Istina! Weird... Did she head out already? Better go check on her. ...... Yeah, she's not here. I guess she had something important to do. I wonder what it was? Oh... What's this...? Gummy, we went out. Won't be back until evening. Please look after yourself. "Signed, Istina..." "...and Zima." Hmph! Look at them treating me like a kid again. Of course I can take care of myself! That means Zima's already up too. Hmm... Oops, I better hurry up and report in or I'm gonna be late. Just gotta grab my trusty shield and frying pan... Right, that's everything. Time to go!!
<Background 2>
11:28 a.m. Rhodes Island Cafeteria – Kitchen
*Rumble~*
Gummy	I'm kinda hungry... I left in a hurry this morning and didn't have time to fill up my tummy. But I guess I should focus on work first and grab some food afterwards. Um... Order up! Ready for the counter!
Dur-nar	On it!
Gummy	Gotta do a shchi next? Okay, I'll have it right out! ......
[Moments later...]
Gummy	Done! Food's ready! Please take it to the dining area! Next up is... Mhm, we got another fried pelmeni. Just need someone to take this order, then I crank out the pelmeni and I'm good to go.
Dur-nar	Gummy, I have my hands full over here! Put that out for me?
Gummy	Sure thing! Phew... I got this. It's way lighter than my shield. But where does it go? Dur-nar! ...... Dur-nar? Weird... Why is everyone in such a hurry today? I turn my head for a second and she's gone... Oh well, guess I'll just ask where to put it.
<Background fades out and in>
Gummy	It's gotta go around here somewhere. The lady at the cash register, that's... Gitano, right? Hey, Gitano.
Gitano	Good day, Little Cub. Why are you out here with your frying pan? Do you need my help?
Gummy	Just one thing. Could you tell me where to put the shchi? It's getting cold!
Ceobe	......
Gitano	Shchi, huh? If I recall correctly, it goes there in the middle, where Courier is standing.
Gummy	Got it!
Gitano	Are you sure you don't need any help, Little Cub?
Gummy	I'm perfectly fine! See you later, Gitano!
Gitano	......
Spot	Forget it. You couldn't lift it anyway.
Gitano	Yes, I know.
<Background fades out and in>
Courier	Welcome, what can I get for you? Braised pork and vegetables? Coming right up. And a steamed egg with your stir-fried vegetables? No problem. All right, here you go. Please be careful. It's hot. Mhm, see you~
Gummy	Courier, I got the food!
Courier	Great! Thank you, Gummy.
Gummy	You're welcome~
Courier	Huff! Phew! That's all for now. Sorry to bother you, Gummy, but would you mind taking this pot back to the kitchen?
Gummy	Okay, Courier!
*Rumble~~~*
Gummy	Ughh...
Courier	You've really outdone yourself, Gummy. C'mere, I have a cookie for you. You must be hungry, right?
Gummy	Thank you very much, Courier!
Courier	It's my pleasure. Make sure to have a proper meal after this, all right?
Gummy	Will do!
<Background fades out and in>
Gummy	See you later, Gitano. I need to head back and get some stuff done.
Gitano	Stay safe.
Gummy	Will do!
*Rumble~~~~*
Gummy	(Just hold out a bit longer... It's almost time to eat!)
Ceobe	Yummy goodies, here I come!
Gummy	Wooaahh! Kay, you can't go in there!
Ceobe	I can't?
Gummy	You can't! Don't you see the sign on the door?
Ceobe	I see it. I see a red circle with a tilty red line going through it. I also see Kay.
Gummy	That means "Kay is not allowed in here." Got it?
Ceobe	Got it.
Gummy	If you get it, why are you still going in?!
Ceobe	Hungry.
Gummy	If you're hungry, you can just get in line and order something to eat.
Ceobe	Hungry.
Gummy	Y- You're not allowed in there!
Ceobe	But I'm hungry!
Gummy	Fine, fine! I'll think of something!! Hmm... What if I... If I give you this cookie, will you promise not to go inside?
Ceobe	*sniff* *sniff* Mm! Okay, okay!
Gummy	Here...
Ceobe	Thanks!
Gummy	You're welcome... *sigh*... She finally left...
*Grrrrrrrrrrrrr~~~~*
Gummy	There's... there's still... one more to go... Just hold on... just a little longer!
*Grrrrrrrrrrrrr~~~~*
Gummy	Why's the ladle so heavy...... I can't even scoop up the food...... ...... I can't do this anymore. I have to eat something!
<Background fades out>
Gummy has a habit. When she's famished, something takes hold of her, And she can't resist her urge to eat... ...anything and everything.
Gummy	...... What's this?
???	The hell ya doin', Gummy?
Gummy	So soft... Mmmhh.... It must be delicious. Ah, mm.... *chomp*
<Background fades in>
Dur-nar	Gyahhhhhhh!!!
Gummy	Eh?
Dur-nar	Gummy, why are you chewing on my hip?
Gummy	Ah, mm, hmm... S-sorry, Instructor!
<Background fades out and in>
11:55 a.m. Rhodes Island Cafeteria – Dining Area
Gummy	(Gummy is practically inhaling the bread in her hands...) (...washing it down with a swig of soup.)
Dur-nar	C-calm down, Gummy, the food's not going anywhere. And we got training in the afternoon, y'know.
Gummy	(She doesn't leave a single scrap on her plate...) (...and doesn't hesitate to reach for seconds.)
Dur-nar	Gummy?
Gummy	(In no time, she's gobbled up an entire table full of food.)
Dur-nar	Guess you're not feeling talkative... I'll get back to you later.
<Background fades out and in>
Gummy	Whew. I feel like a whole new Gummy! Instructor, don't you want to eat?
Dur-nar	Sure do. But somehow all the food I brought out disappeared into your belly.
Gummy	I'm so sorry, Instructor!!
Dur-nar	Don't worry about it, I can always get more. By the way, how'd you end up so hungry? You skip breakfast or something?
Gummy	I overslept this morning and didn't have time to eat, so...
Dur-nar	Y'know, you might just be that type of girl. With a bottomless pit for a stomach.
Gummy	Really?
Dur-nar	Yup, just like that one over there.
Gummy	Kay? She's charging the kitchen again?! I better–
Dur-nar	Relax, we got someone keeping an eye on her. Plus, they laid out some goodies near the door just in case she gets in. She won't make it to anything important.
Gummy	Oh, I thought those were welcome baskets for new recruits...
Dur-nar	Yeah that too. Whatever gets the job done. See, she's done. If we sealed that door, it'd hurt her feelings. Letting her in every now and then lets her feel like she won. And it doesn't cost us much.
Gummy	Oh... Um, so who's in charge of keeping an eye on her?
Dur-nar	Gitano's on duty today.
Gummy	Good choice. She's always got it together.
Dur-nar	That reminds me, I have to ask you something. It has to do with training.
Gummy	Mm, sure. What is it?
Dur-nar	I notice you have trouble moving your arms, especially in quick, repetitive motions. Why is that?
Gummy	Eh?
Dur-nar	I've watched you in combat, and it's the same in the kitchen. You get two good strokes in and then you have to stop.
Gummy	I guess... it's a habit?
Dur-nar	Huh–? Well, that's a bad habit if I ever saw one. Can we fix it? Because stopping like that on the battlefield is gonna get you killed. But if we can cure you, I'm sure you've got the next Rhodes Island Chopping Competition in the bag.
Gummy	......
Dur-nar	Give it a try?
Gummy	...... Okay... I'll try...
Dur-nar	Good. We'll get to it after defender practice. We won't know if we can fix that habit until we try. But for now... We gotta eat.
Gummy	Yeah.
<Background 3>
3:00 p.m. Rhode Island Training Center – Defender Training Room
Dur-nar	Last round of the day. Let's power through. I want four sets of planks, time— Start!
[...]
Dur-nar	Ten seconds! Three, two, one! Stop! Okay, we're done. Go cool off.
Defender Operators	Woo!
Dur-nar	Gummy.
Gummy	Yes, ma'am!
Dur-nar	You ready? What we talked about at lunch?
Gummy	Yes, ma'am!
Dur-nar	I'll get the training shield, and you can use your weapon there. Now relax. That's gonna be an important part of your rehab.
Gummy	Right!
<Background fades out and in>
Dur-nar	Okay, Gummy. I want you to hit me as hard as you can. I know you're tired from afternoon training, but it's actually the perfect time to work on this. Dur-nar You get me?
Gummy	I get you.
Dur-nar	Great. Now gimme whatever's left in the tank.
[Gummy hits Dur-nar.]
Gummy	Hyah!
Dur-nar	Again.
[Gummy hits Dur-nar again.]
Gummy	Hyah!
Dur-nar	Again.
[Gummy hits Dur-nar again.]
Gummy	Nngh!
Dur-nar	Again! Keep going!
[Gummy hits Dur-nar again.]
Gummy	Gah!!
Dur-nar	Again!
[Gummy hits Dur-nar again.]
Dur-nar	(If it's a conditioned reflex, that should have shaken out some more swings.) (Is she stopping herself involuntarily?) (But why?)
[Gummy hits Dur-nar again.]
Dur-nar	Gummy, swing!
Gummy	I can't do it!
[Gummy hits Dur-nar again.]
Dur-nar	Swing!
Gummy	I can't!
[Gummy hits Dur-nar again.]
Dur-nar	That's an order! Gummy!
[Gummy hits Dur-nar again.]
Dur-nar	I order you to—
<Background fades out>
Gummy is a good cook, but she has a habit. She chops only twice. Should she ever chop a third time— She'll chop straight through the cutting board, right into the counter itself.
[Gummy hits Dur-nar again, but this time she hits with such force that it knocks down Dur-nar hard.]
<Background fades in>
Dur-nar	Ngah! Nng... Phew...
Gummy	Instructor!
Dur-nar	I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just been a long time since I took a hit like that. Is this another one of your "habits"?
Gummy	Sorry, Instructor...
Dur-nar	Relax. I told you, I'm fine. But it looks like this problem of yours is more complicated than I thought. On your third swing, you subconsciously put your full strength into it. Is that right?
Gummy	Yeah...
Dur-nar	And I'm guessing that takes a fourth swing off the table. If we were in the kitchen just now, you'd've chopped that cutting board into a nice, clean pair. Here I thought we just had to push you over the edge... Turns out there's something else going on here. I jumped headfirst into this without really feeling it out. Sorry, Gummy.
Gummy	It's... it's fine. It's my fault for being a lousy student.
Dur-nar	Let's call it for today. You go home and rest up. Give me some time to noodle on this. But if you want to try again, you know where to find me.
Gummy	I could use a break. See you later, Instructor.
Dur-nar	Bye-bye.
[Gummy leaves.]
Dur-nar	...... (I can't feel my arm.) (It's totally numb.) (Those Ursus Youth Scouts are stupid strong.) (I better pay Gavial a visit in Medical.) (I'll grab her something to eat on the way.)
<Background 1>
4:30 p.m. Rhodes Island Dormitories – Zima, Istina, and Gummy's Quarters
Gummy goes back home alone. She does not turn on the lights. She hangs her "shield" in the corner, And makes her way inside. She did nothing wrong. And yet she is sad. She wants to do better, for everyone who does so much to help her. She failed. Since coming to Rhodes Island, Gummy's "habits" only bred more habits. And she knows those habits bother the people around her. But she can't change. She can do nothing but keep on being "Gummy."
<Background fades out>
And Gummy has a habit. She carries a safe door and a frying pan with her everywhere she goes. Gummy has a habit. She uses the entire tube of toothpaste, going so far as to suck out the last few drops. Gummy has a habit. When up somewhere high, she keeps far away from the edge, even if there's a guardrail.
???	......
Gummy has a habit. When she's famished, she has to fight the urge to devour the nearest object. Should she fail...
???	......?
Gummy has a habit. If she finds herself in the dark too long...
[Zima enters the room.]
Zima	Oh, Gummy, you're back? Why didn't you turn on the lights?
However... Gummy has a habit. All her myriad habits dissipate as soon as she sees Zima and Istina.
<Background fades in>
[The light turns back on.]
Gummy	Ah?!
Istina	No doubt she was sniveling alone in the corner after something shook her.
Gummy	(Snivelingly) Was not!!
Istina	See?
Zima	What am I gonna do with you? Gummy, start cleaning. Leto is coming.
Gummy	You got it, Zima!
Istina	Hey.
Zima	Hmph. Gummy, come here.
Gummy	Yes, Zima?
Zima	Come.
Gummy	Mmm. I can do it myself.
Zima	Don't move.
Gummy	Mmmf...
Zima	There. Give Istina back her handkerchief after you wash it.
Gummy	Okay.
Zima	Now tell me what happened.
Gummy	Erm...
Istina	Zima.
Zima	What?
Istina	(Shhh...)
Zima	Right. Forget it. Get to work, Gummy. I did the shopping. The rest is up to you two.
Gummy	Okay. What's so special about today anyway?
Istina	It's been exactly one year since we came to Rhodes Island. Zima even woke up early for the occasion. If you believe it.
Zima	Phew— I'm beat. I'm gonna lay down for a bit. Call me when Leto gets here.
Istina	Oh no you're not. There's too much to be done.
Zima	Nah. I'm tired.
Istina	Gummy, do the thing.
Gummy	Do I have to?
Istina	I'll go prepare the refreshments. You're responsible for getting Zima up.
Gummy	Okay. Hrm. Ziiimaaaa...
Zima	What.
Gummy	Gummy loooooooves yooou~
Zima	Spare me the schmaltz. I'm sleepy.
Gummy	Ziiimaaaa~ Hehe~
Zima	Get off me!
Gummy	Tickle tickle.
Zima	Fine! I'm up! I'm up!
Gummy	Job's done, Istina!
Istina	Good. Now put her to work. I have my hands full.
Zima	Ugh. I just carried all those bags. Why do I have to work more?
Istina	Call it the burden of command.
Gummy	Because you're our leader! Hehe.
Zima	Aahh... Damn it.
[Someone knocks the door.]
Zima	It's open.
[The one who knocks the door is revealed to be Leto.]
Zima	Come on in and give me a hand. We'll celebrate once everything's done.
Leto	Can't believe you remembered. Ooh, is that...?! My favorite! That stuff isn't cheap.
Zima	My treat.
Leto	Hehe, thanks.
Zima	What're you standing around for? Get busy.
Leto	All right, all right. Can I put this here?
Zima	I just put that out!
Gummy	Hahahahaha!
<Background fades out>
Gummy has a habit. When she's happy, she laughs. It's a laugh from the very depths of her soul. And she wants everyone to share such a laugh.
<Background fades in>
Istina	Done. Zima, say a few words.
Zima	"A few words." Eat up. Ura!
Istina	Ura.
Leto	Ura!!
Gummy	Ura! (It's been a long time since we all got together.) （......） (I hope Rosa can come next time.)
[Someone knocks the door.]
Zima	It's open.
Ceobe	(Ceobe pokes her head in) Is the Little Cub here?
Gummy	Hm?
Ceobe	There you are!
Gummy	Eh?
Ceobe	Hiya. I ate your cookie earlier, so I got you a new one. Vulcan taught me how to make it. It's fresh outta the oven.
Gummy	Isn't it... kinda big?
Ceobe	Hurry up and eat it before it gets cold. Bye.
[Ceobe closes the door and leaves.]
Gummy	Oh. Bye! She's gone.
Leto	Nichego sebe, that's one hell of a cookie.
Zima	A cookie's a cookie. Well? Eat it already.
Gummy	(I'm eating well tonight.) (Yay.)
<Background fades out and in>
9:00 p.m. Rhodes Island Dormitories - Zima, Istina, and Gummy's Quarters
Gummy	Phew. That was great. But now it's bedtime. Just need my trusty night light... Huh? It's not turning on? Did the bulb burn out? Now that I think of it, it wasn't on this morning either. So when did it break? Uh oh...
Gummy has a habit. She absolutely must sleep with a night light.
Istina	Gummy.
Gummy	What's up, Istina?
Istina	Can I sleep with you tonight?
Gummy	Y– yeah!
Istina	Zima.
Gummy	Are you sleeping with us too?
Zima	Uh, I guess so. Hey, Istina? Can the three of us really fit in Gummy's bed?
Istina	Just squeeze in tight.
Zima	Guess we're making a Gummy bear sandwich.
Gummy	Fine by me.
Zima	All right. Just tell me if it gets too hot and stuffy. I'll go back to my room.
Gummy	Okay.
Istina	I'm turning out the lights. Good night.
Zima	Night.
Gummy	Nighty night.
<Background black>
Zima	When was the last time we all slept together like this?
Istina	I can't even remember. I don't even want to remember.
Gummy	Me either.
Zima	Forget I asked. Just get some sleep.
Istina	Zzz......
Zima	As soon as her head hits the pillow, huh?
Gummy	......
Zima	Gummy?
Gummy	Zzzzzz......
Zima	Guess I'm the only one who doesn't pass right out. *Sigh*...... Settle down, brain. We got a busy day tomorrow. Ugh. ......
Gummy	(Hehe~) (Zima's so cute.) (Nighty night~)
Gummy has a habit. ...... You know the Ursus Student Self-government Group? Zima and Istina? They're the habit Gummy just can't quit.

Trivia

• Ceobe's Operator Record, XXL Honey Biscuit, takes place in the same day as this interlude.