eatsnutsandkicksbutts | ETRAYA INBOX

[ Does Fabian feel exhausted as hell, getting out on the other side of these months? Yes. But it's not like that's going to stop him from checking up on people he didn't have time to check up on in the middle of the chaos that was happening - and Doreen is definitely on that list. There's something about the way she stepped in for him during Moorecroft that sticks out in his mind enough for him to have to make sure she's alright.

So Doreen will find her earpiece letting her know someone is trying to contact her - and it's Fabian on the other side. ]

Hey. Are you-- Um, is everything alright? [ Though Fabian is trying to mask most of his fatigue, there's still a little bit of it in his voice as he speaks. ] I know it's been a wild few months.

Fabian?

[ Well, here's a surprise! Without most of her gang from home here, she hadn't really expected anyone to check up on her. This is... this is really sweet of him. Huh! ]

Yeah! Yeah, I'm good. Things got, uh... a little hairy there for a while, not gonna lie. [ There had been lots of undead squirrels, and nightmarish visions of Nancy and her parents being hurt by her superhero work, but we're not gonna talk about that right now! That's going in the vault! ]

... But, you know! Got through it in one piece, so I'm good. Super good. Everything is cool and fine and can be sorted out with therapy later, probably! How about you? You doin' ok?

Yeah. I'm fine.

[ Maybe not the most convincing thing in the world when he sounds kind of tired as he's saying it, but-- let's be real, it's not like Doreen opted to go for the most convincing method either. It's why Fabian is so brief about how he's feeling in the first place - he isn't so sure she's doing all that well, and he'd rather focus on her in this moment than think about his own mess. ]

Are you sure you don't want to talk about it? I mean, not-- not therapy, obviously. [ Fabian is the absolute furthest thing from a therapist. And he'd never want to be like Jawbone. Please. He'd never survive that. ] But it's probably better than keeping all of that to yourself, right? Things got really messed up back there.

[ There is a long, telling silence on the other end of the line before Doreen finally gives him a sheepish response. ]

... Y'know, I was going to say something, but we literally just dealt with a whole 'don't suppress your bad feelings or store them in stuffed animals or they will figuratively and literally explode' situation a few weeks back, so I'm having a hard time arguing my point.

But! [ She claps! ] This supportive feelings jam is gonna go both ways, because the same goes for you, ok?

Okay.

[ ...

A slight pause. It almost seems like Fabian is giving in a little easy by his standards, huh? Maybe-- ]

But I'm fine. So. You know.

[ --okay, maybe he isn't giving in that easily after all. ]

So you can go first. You listened to me talk about Gilear before, so I want to listen to you now.

Of course! But, if you want to switch it up at any point, this is a safe, supportive feelings jam.

[ ... And now she actually has to talk about herself. Shoot. ]

Ssssssso. Yeah. This was typical superhero nightmare stuff? Undead squirrels mad at me for leading them into danger, friends and family getting hurt because of my superhero stuff, waking up in Australia, the works.

... Long story short, my life kinda blew up a while ago, and things were just starting to get fixed before I woke up here. Like, I'm good now, but that's the stuff my brain always goes back to when it's nightmare zone time. I just... I miss my pals, y'know?

I don't know. Undead squirrels also sound kind of freaky, you know. [ Especially when Fabian is deadly afraid of rats. Or, well, one particular kind of rat, actually. Squirrels don't come close enough to be freaky inherently, but still close enough that the idea of having to deal with undead squirrel nightmares is still pretty no bueno to Fabian!

But he gets that it's not the bigger problem. Especially when Doreen says that last part, tugging at Fabian's heartstrings. ]

But.. you're saying that none of your friends from back home are in this place?

[ at least they weren't sexy undead squirrels, thank god for that! ]

Well, uh... there were some people from my universe here, they were like work-friends, and I'm sure we could've become legit good pals in time, but I'm not sure if they're here anymore? That sorta counts!

[ There's an edge of determined, forced positivity in her voice. She's fine! Everything is fine! ]

[ ... ]

Oh.

[ That is distinctly the oh of someone realizing they just heard something really awkward and aren't entirely sure how to reply to it. Especially when Fabian is pretty sure the presence of Riz and Gorgug is just about the only thing that keeps him from fully snapping in this place.

And Doreen doesn't have that. She didn't have it all this time, even back when she was trying so hard to cheer him up back in Moorecroft.

... ]

Well-- [ Give him a second. For how much Fabian always yaps, he wants to make sure this is the good kind of yap. A yap that can help her, rather than make her feel bad. ]

At least you have me, right? We are friends! In fact-- We can do more things together, if you'd like! Especially to fill up the gap until some of your friends might happen to show up in this place!

[ There is a long, long pause on Doreen's end before she finally responds: ]

... Dude, if we were having this conversation in person, you would be getting such a huggin' right now. You are getting a bearhug later! Rain check on the hug!

For real though, thank you, that is super sweet. New friends are pretty great, too.

W-Wait, you want to hug me for that?

[ At least it's not really panic in his tone. Instead it's more just surprise, especially when he was already a little awkward a moment ago. It just makes the surprise hit him even harder now.

He's not used to people hugging him, okay! Maybe his papa after said papa's death, but-- That's his papa! It's different! ]

[ OH NO, DID SHE MAKE IT WEIRD AGAIN... this is just like the time she offered to arm-wrestle his mom! Rein it in, Doreen! ]

Unless that's not cool! Totally fine if it isn't, fistbumps or high-fives are a good option too!

No!

[ Maybe said a little bit too quickly. So quickly that it almost sounds kind of panicked, or maybe desperate, but Fabian is quick to reign it in. He has to be at least somewhat cool here, after all. ]

No, a hug is-- It's fine! I don't mind.

[ No, that's a lie. But Fabian wonders if telling the truth here is also a little bit too uncool..

.. he has thinks for a moment, and then admits, reluctantly but genuinely: ]

I like it, actually. You know, perhaps we could use both it. A hug, I mean. [ Admitting to your needs is embarrassing!! Ugh!! Kill him now!! ]

[ Doreen is so earnestly dorky that she has passed through Uncoolness and gone straight out to the other side, where the only person who gets to decide how cool you are is you! Give it a couple more years, Fabian, you'll get there. ]

... Yeah, I think so. Next time we run into each other, we're bringin' it in! The hug train is pulling into the station!

[ sometimes the dorkiness does overpower it though, NGL ]

[ This is dorky. So dorky. Incredibly dorky.

But Doreen has hit just the right notes with Fabian before, which means she can get away with it. It's a very exclusive position, Doreen, make sure to hold onto it! Especially since Fabian calls even his years long friends nerds sometimes..

Even though he does have to protest just a bit, sounding slightly embarrassed: ]

Does it have to be called a hug train?

[ listen, Doreen would take being called a nerd as a compliment! nerds are cool! ]

Choo choo!

... Nah, I kid. A hug is a hug, no matter what it's called! Although I guess a hug train would imply more than two people, so it's a bit off, semantically.

It's just-- It's better when it's not called a hug train, okay!

[ Don't try to intimidate him with that 'choo choo'!

... mostly because it'd actually work! There's nothing scarier to Fabian Seacaster than seeming uncool. (Or sexy rats.) ]

That makes it sound like I'm a little kid. Which I am most certainly not! I am a grown adult who just enjoys getting and giving encouragement to friends through hugs! [ Please, Fabian, you're barely 18.

And you act even younger than it. ]

Gotcha, gotcha! I concede your point, and you're right, hugs are great!

[ Man, Doreen remembers what it was like to be a teenager who's trying so damn hard to be cool, especially to adults! It felt like being a raw nerve, she does not miss those days. ]

ETRAYA INBOX

a little bit after the september/october mission is over; voice!

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