[ Fabian had no idea this morning that this day would end up like this.
Then again, who would have? The series of utter shenanigans - and not even the good kind of shenanigans - that led up to this moment truly were too strange for anyone to imagine. One moment you're trying to take care of an AI baby you absolutely can't handle, then you run into your friend, and a series of shenanigans later you're sitting in the hallway of some sort of fake robot baby hospital.
.. It feels uncomfortable. For many reasons. The fact that the two of them seem to be the only people in here aside from the companion bots 'working' here, the sterile white and incredibly quiet hallway they're sitting in on some of those pathetic little plastic hospital waiting seats. It's a weird and awkward situation.
And the further they got into said weird and awkward situation, the more quiet Fabian got. At first he had still been yelling right alongside Gorgug in panic over the entire situation, but ever since the fake baby was handed over to the companion bots now working on repairing it, Fabian has grown.. quiet.
Weirdly quiet, in fact. The fact that the half-elf usually is so loud and present at any given time likely makes it stand out even more that he hasn't said a single word since they were told to wait here, even though they've been sitting here for a good twenty minutes now.
Fabian is just sitting there. He's not even looking over at Gorgug. Instead he's slumped forward, his face hidden by the two hands he's leaning it on. ]
It's not a thought that immediately occurs to Gorgug; it's not an assumption that he's fully sure about the weight of, at first sitting down by his friend with the same vigor that brought the two of them into that hospital. In that energy, yes, of course, Gorgug could've guessed that Fabian was upset or would be upset with him. He was frantic over the situation as much as Fabian was, and his mind had been whizzing with ideas of armours and baby safety mechanisms he could make to be sure this would never happen again. He wouldn't tear off Fabian's baby's arm off ever again. Or its legs. Or the head!
But that energy is gone now, the rush of that far too long moment vanished--and its absence is loud with the quiet it leaves behind.
Gorgug knows Fabian: he doesn't do quiet. He does complaining, he should be complaining, preferably up on his feet and pacing around with his hands motioning senselessly and meaningfully at the same time. And that's where Gorgug would be listening, speaking or not, depending on how long it had been going on for. And yet--
And yet it's not happening. It hasn't been happening since they got here, and Gorgug's been giving glances at Fabian, about to speak, but then shutting his mouth again because he's not the one who should be talking. That's not how this goes.
Fabian's mad at him. And why wouldn't he be? Gorgug did this. And he's not only mad, he must be worried--because Fabian's complained a lot about what this place has done to them, and now there's the looming threat of what's going to come down on him playing on over in his head, bringing him to the state he's in. Quiet. Still. Unnerving.
Gorgug breaks things. He causes problems. His hands are curled around his knees and he feels like a version of himself he thought he was escaping. Fabian's mad, and he should be; and he can be and that's fine, and--
And Gorgug's going to be the version of himself he's been working on being. The one who doesn't fall into a silence and stays stunted, and instead the version that turns to his friend, slowly, and who opens his mouth, who might struggle to start to speak, and yet: ]
...I'll make sure they know I did it, [ he reassures, gently. Quietly. ] So, whatever they try to say--it's okay. I won't let them blame you.
[ Awkwardly. A pause. ]
I'm sorry I broke your baby, Fabian. I didn't want to break your baby.
Usually he's ready to rant about how annoying and dumb a mission was after it ends. But right now - he's not doing any of that, and it doesn't have anything to do with his fatigue. He remembers feeling so tired and hungry and aching to the bone after that dumb maze so soon after he arrived, but that was different. Back then, he didn't have anything to do. He just dragged himself back to the apartment with Riz, let Adaine come with them, and just spent time together recovering.
He has something to do now though, in the wake of the mission. His body feels sore from all the times it's been hurt and healed over the past while, especially during the battle with Gorgug at the end, but Fabian just pushes himself through it. At least enough to help get Gorgug back to the apartment, to put him into bed so he can rest after all of this, the other - for obvious reasons - seeming even more exhausted than Fabian himself. (Or maybe just less in a state to be able to cover it up.) Only after being absolutely sure that Gorgug would be sleeping in the bed for a while does Fabian leave the other's side, going to check up on Riz, shooting off texts to his other friends in this place, trying to get a handle of the state of things and trying to make a mental list of all the things he should be doing.
(Maybe this is why Riz always pushes himself so much, Fabian thinks - it's kind of nice to not have to stop and think about yourself in the wake of these things, to just shove that off to the side and ignore it. To feel like you're doing something better, something useful.)
It doesn't take too long though before Fabian gets back to Gorgug's room though, dragging a chair in there so he can sit down by the other's bedside. He is a little worried that he might fall asleep if he just has to sit there and wait though, and he doesn't want Gorgug to first wake up here to Fabian sleeping there, so he's grabbed a hand mirror and a comb to try and salvage his hair after the disaster that this past while has been. Might as well have something to focus on that keeps him awake.
Because he has to be awake when Gorgug wakes. Fabian wants to be there for him.
What else can he do to make up for all the times he fucked up in trying to bring Gorgug back to his senses? ]
There's no room for fear, for anger, for comprehension or emotions; he can't feel anything, not cognizant--a thing he would be happy for, if not for the contradiction that would bring. Gorgug's body makes sure of that, and perhaps even his mind, finally being able to shut down properly, finally, after every attempt at sleeping during his state was more of a fever dream than rest. There was nothing ever restful: the thing inside him would never allow it.
People told him there was something wrong with him. Fabian told him there was something wrong. Padme, Aurora--
And he never listened. He never wanted to listen.
Fabian gets some time to do everything he wants to, before Gorgug stirs. The state of his body before their last fight wasn't anything that could be defined as in adequate health, and even with the damage healed by Linhardt, the trauma suffered continues to cling to his body. Gorgug couldn't wake even if he wanted to, and Gorgug might be enough of a coward to not want to.
But he doesn't get the choice. He's also not aware of where he is, or aware enough to question it when he does start to stir. Exhaustion still weighs over his body like a building's fallen on top of it, and he moans softly, flutters his eyelids open briefly to the room in front of him.
If he sees Fabian, he doesn't acknowledge him--but then, it's a dazed motion that he follows with by closing his eyes again. Gorgug doesn't see him--his brain can't fathom Fabian being there, and so he isn't. Because all he's had day in and day out is the dark thoughts that plagued his mind, and the sweat and grime, the stench of dirt and blood, that continue to stick to his clothes. To his skin.
( it had been some time since she last spoke to gorgug and while she had been busy with other affairs [a questionable dinner party], she didn't forget about what they had discussed. also she felt compelled to check on him. )
hey it's heather, it's been a while. I never did get a gun in the end.
Is he at the party anyway? Yes. A part of it is the fact that he didn't fully want to ignore someone's invitation - despite not knowing Heather well, she seemed nice enough when they spoke before - but that by itself wouldn't have done it with the mood Fabian has often found himself in lately. But getting quite literally dragged there by a friend is something Fabian can resist even less, so even though it's with an incredible amount of reluctance in his heart and a determination to not stay at the party for too long, Fabian does go. He even does his hair and dresses up for it, because even when he doesn't want to go to a party in the first place, he definitely will not be caught dead looking awful at a party, thanks.
But then there's the venue, and--
Honestly, Fabian has very little memory of what happened after that. He's talked to people, probably. Maybe he's done some stuff. It all blurs together in his mind, a haze behind the thoughts of what the fuck and where the fuck is Gorgug.
A haze that only clears a little bit when he finally gets an answer to the latter question once he manages to find the half-orc at the party. You'd think an incredibly tall friend with green skin would be easy enough to find in a world that isn't quite as diverse as the one they come from, but it feels like it's taken an eternity already by the time Fabian finally manages to spot the other, making his way through the crowd to approach the other. ]
Gorgug! [ He immediately hisses, one hand moving over, a finger extending until he's practically poking Gorgug in the chest in the most accusatory way possible. ] What did you do?!
[ I-Is Fabian angry? Is he upset? It might be difficult to tell, especially for one simple Gorgug.. He sure does seem worked up over something, though. It's some real dramatic Fabian energy. ]
[ This may be, for the first time, that Gorgug won't be confused upon a friend's dramatic display.
He arrived before Fabian or Riz to this event. It was his help that got Heather this venue, and he also somehow ended up assisting with the food, which....honestly, just involved asking the companion bots for help and then taking some brownies and shrimp along with him too, since he can handle that much (and also, shrimps belong at a party? it's just a thing now, okay).
Gorgug also dressed up for the event, as much as Gorgug dressed up for anything. He's chosen some level of familiarity comfort, a hooded jacket with jeans and a shirt--simple, but more than his usual attire of a less patterned hoodie and jeans. Come on, he knows how to dress a little up!
And since he's lending a hand (or two) to Heather, it also means that Gorgug is on the move than one might expect--he's not as still as Fabian would like, which leads to the time apart before that half-elf comes with the demanding, prodding weapon-- ]
Do you like it?
[ And Gorgug is smiling, hopeful, looking down at his friend with a drink in his hand. There's been a level of nerves in him all day, and going through the party itself hasn't gotten rid of them: because they were never about the party. They were for Fabian, and here he is now, the man of the hour. Of the night.
He's watching him, heart anticipating, an open mouth smile that shows entirely his tusks. ]
It's also probably the best thing that's happened to Gorgug in a while. Even if, sure, coming to understand his friend's needs and where they're at should rank higher, and-- okay, it does rank higher. There's been a lot of feelings that had to come out and be said, and Gorgug appreciates that. But going back out to the party after what happened between him and Fabian was-- a lot, actually. More than Gorgug knew to be prepared for, and catching Fabian out of the corner of his vision was agonising. He had to look away. He had to tell himself to stop looking to catch his eye back, because--he always would. And it wasn't safe.
Maybe staying around was a bad thing, all things considered.
Gorgug chills out, somewhat, through it. Enough that at least when he gets back to the apartment with the others, he controls himself; he's loaded with an excuse on his tongue the entire time to speak with Fabian in private, but he hangs around in the chatter after their return. To hear Riz's thoughts, to contribute to the flow of the conversation.
And whether it's intentional or not, when Fabian announces that he's going to bed, Gorgug gives it a second or so before he slips out his, 'Oh, I wanna talk to you about something before you sleep. You go-- I wanna change.'
It gives him time. Gives them both time. No reason to catch Riz's attention (hopefully), and those five minutes should be enough to put him and Fabian out of Riz's mind. He can really do with changing too, Gorgug thinks; out from that night's clothes, and sparing a minute to splash his face with water. He knows what he wants, but he's telling himself he's going to hold back. He's going to resist. He's going to let Fabian speak first, as he always does, whether Gorgug wants that or not.
Gorgug gets to Fabian's room, knocks and waits for a response, then enters on in after it. Shuts the door behind him, turning with his back to it on the other side; looks over at Fabian, and-- ]
Can I kiss you?
[ He doesn't wait, eyes filled with both reservation and hope, his voice the same thing. Anticipating, waiting; and yet still mild enough that if he were to receive a no, he could swallow the disappointment well enough. Hide it, and not make a show.
The mood inside the booth is no longer with them, but still, Gorgug defers to Fabian. ]
But even with the mood Fabian has been in recently - the same mood that would not have brought him to said party in the first place, if not for a whole lot of what has apparently turned out to be Gorgug's social engineering - he didn't want to commit the social faux pas of leaving early. Especially when it might end up with him being asked questions. Or people assuming that he's feeling bad when the problem is of a different nature altogether.
So he also did his best. Staying there, talking with friends, even engaging in some activities, despite the fact that he felt shaky on his own legs the entire time. Drained. Spent.
But if there is anything Fabian Aramais Seacaster is good at, it's faking it. And he managed to do so relatively successfully, even walking back to their apartment. Even hanging around for a bit of boy after-talk. Maybe it was inevitable though that he would be the first one to announce he was retiring, given that he felt absolutely drained after the party. He did want to talk to Gorgug one on one a little-- about what happened, and to ask him for another request, and maybe more - but he realizes he's probably not going to get that tonight, and if he has to keep standing for a few more moments, he might awkwardly collapse to the ground.
He didn't quite expect the boldness on Gorgug's part. It makes him stop mid-walk to his bedroom, his eye growing wide in surprise as he stares at the door. He turns his head to nod in return, but then quickly enters his room - not wanting his reaction to give anything away here.
Fabian has just about enough energy left to change out of his party outfit - the clothes randomly discarded in the room for now, the half-elf figuring he can take care of that problem tomorrow - and into some silk pyjama pants. He does spend a moment considering putting on a top, but Gorgug did want to come talk, and-- Did he just want to talk? Should Fabian anticipate something?
.. he has no clue, but he sleeps topless half of the time anyway, so he leaves the top for what it is, keeping only the pants on as he makes his way over to the edge of his bed, allowing himself to topple backwards onto it. Lying there on his back, staring at the ceiling - and seriously feeling that drained energy getting to him now.
The knock on his door jolts him out of a near-sleep accidentally happening, and Fabian quickly sits up on the edge of the bed instead, telling the other he can come in. Expecting a talk, likely--
-- or maybe anything that's not those words right away.
It's not like Fabian doesn't understand where they come from. He's pretty sure Gorgug must have been feeling the same way he did at the party, especially when Gorgug glanced away so quickly every single time their gazes met. There's a strangeness about sharing something together and then spending a few hours pretending it never happened. Like something that is yet to be continued.
Is this said continuation? Fabian isn't sure how far Gorgug wants to do, and he'd like their first time going further to be a situation that allows Fabian to be a little bit more of an active participant than he feels like right now, but kisses--
Kisses can't hurt, right? And he wants it. Not just because it's once again nice to see Gorgug desire him so openly - immediately spreading another dark hue from the tips of his ears - but also because Fabian wants those kisses too.
He has to duck his head for a slight moment, fighting some oncoming fluster, but smiles again by the time he raises his head to look at poor Gorgug standing there in clear and full anticipation. ]
If you can come here. [ Fabian says, patting a spot next to him on the edge of the bed. ] I think someone here has made it so I can't even walk anymore.
[ At least it's a clear lighthearted joke. Fabian doesn't seem to mind at all, maybe even mixing in a faint hint of teasing at that last part. ]
Gorgug's surprised when the six-pack shows up with the message. Wonders if he should take the appearance of the beer to mean the old man went and got himself some too, but it's not like that's Gorgug's problem.
But hey, maybe he can help the guy out--in a sense. It takes him a while to think, but the next day, Hank will receive a visit from a companion bot himself (or when he's available to receive a visit) with two items from Gorgug: a letter, and a string bag. Inside the string bag appears to be a hip flask inside with the words Hank's Beer. It's simple, and seems to be handmade.
And the note inside the letter reads:
It refills every day.
Gorgug
It's beer, alright: and by beer, we mean cold, fresh water.
But it sure does refill if Hank manages to drink 330ml from it each day. Or, you know, if he drinks less. Let's see if Hank ever figures out these details for himself.
[ Gorgug's come to the dance studio to spend a late lunch with Fabian.
The building is still enough of a novelty to hang out in (it's more new than old, still), and Gorgug thinks it isn't a bad idea to skip a few of his heavier projects for time with his new boyfriend. Even if said boyfriend has been a long time friend, and hanging out together at lunch (or a late lunch) isn't new itself, either. But they're exploring their relationship under this new designation, so they should do the kinds of things couples do, right?
And Gorgug does have a lot of effort to return to Fabian, especially when it comes to hanging out in their spot. So: he's here for a late lunch. Which is titled as such because someone has to make sure Riz is up for eating, and that guy has to be Fabian, currently. Which means that Gorgug gets to bring lunch for himself, and maybe he can watch Fabian dance, or they can sit and chill?
Regardless, Gorgug arrives to the studio wrapped up snug in a jacket (with a hood) and backpack on, peering into the different dance rooms until he finds the one Fabian is in. Watching him for a second, before letting himself in.
Hi, Fabian. What'cha up to? Gorgug will have a light smile and a wave to greet you with, even if he has to give it to the mirror. ]
[ The mirrors aren't just handy for dancing - they're also very handy to let you know exactly who's coming into the room, so Fabian doesn't even have to turn around to know that it's Gorgug. He wouldn't even have to look closely. Really, anyone who's green and wearing something with a hood? It's Gorgug. A green hoodie blur.
He grins the moment he spots the other in the mirror, and continues just a few more dance moves until he does fully spin around to greet the other. The music he was using to practice still plays on, but Fabian doesn't seem to mind it enough to turn it off - or maybe he just has different priorities, stepping over towards Gorgug and standing a little bit more on his toes in order to press a peck onto the other's lips. ]
I didn't know you were stopping by. [ Judging by both Fabian's tone and his facial expression though, this isn't a bad thing. Not in the slightest. He seems pleased enough with it.
Not like he won't have more time to practice his dancing - which will be useful if things get dire again, surely - in this place anyway. He can stop for a moment, though the fact he's been practicing hard will likely become obvious pretty quickly to Gorgug. When Fabian takes a step backwards, his skin is shining with sweat, even though he's wearing very thin clothing for dance practice in the first place. ]
[ Fabian truly is discovering the benefits of the bracelet Gorgug gave him during this mission. He wasn't sure if it'd work at first, but after briefly testing it out, he's found out that the people on this train definitely can't see through magic disguises.
Which is pretty good for trying to squeeze information out of people, yes, but it also makes traversing this entire train a lot easier. It's still not something Fabian can really do much with how busy he is with the work he's been given, but the moment he sees even the chance to slip away for a moment, he instantly goes for it.
Donning a similar guise to the one he had while talking to Lady Kestrel - a little older, fully human, this time ditching the eye patch to make himself seem like he has two eyes or his look might give away too much for this different purpose - it's not all that hard to slip past the Neon carriages and further down towards the Sprawl area, trying to spot an area where Gorgug likely might be busy with some engineering work.
It doesn't take too long, especially when Fabian just opts to follow the sounds of said engineering work. The moment he spots the half-orc, a grin spreads across his face, and he doesn't hesitate to walk right over to the other. ]
[ A lot of the engineering work means being in the spots with the wiring, power supply and else, but also, some of it can be done in a person's preferred spot. Gorgug takes a place at what's essentially a community hall, an open space with tables and seats pushed together, and his shenanigans with the VR headsets have been a positive and negative: a positive in Fabian's events, but a negative in drawing attention to himself. He's managed to decline working on upgrading any personal headsets with clumsy excuses (that avoids telling the truth that they're not running off just the power of the headsets), but it means that he's seen: he's a person to put projects on.
It's the reason his part of the table has been covered in electronic and tools, and Gorgug has his goggles down, his back hunched as he tries to fix the wiring on a particularly pesky project. The voice makes his jump a little, his headphones not quite on right, and he squints through his goggles at the figure looking down above him. His appearance, his face. His style of dress. ]
....are you lost?
[ He's confused, but-- maybe this guy needs directions? ]
[ On Valentine's Day Gorgug will suddenly receive a text around the time that he usually starts wrapping things up in the lab to go to bed - or, well, to go to Fabian's bed, really. ]
don't come back to the manor just yet wait until i give you a sign this is VERY IMPORTANT make sure to not ignore this text!!!!!!!! [ --writes the frequent text ignorer. ]
And it's easy to blame that on Fabian being Fabian - really, patience is not his main virtue, and that's putting it mildly - but can you really blame him? That train mission might not have been the worst one they've been through, but he could easily name a whole lot of bad and dumb things about it. And one of the things on that list, perhaps even the one at the very top, might have been the fact he was separated from his friends like that.
So he immediately makes up with it. The moment they're back and off the train, the half-elf immediately drags his friends into some fun, yet kind of low-key activity-- in this case watching a movie together with some takeout meal. And when it's time to go to bed, Fabian immediately grabs Gorgug's hand after Riz has already departed to go to his room to sleep.
[ Gorgug is glad to be back in Etraya, regardless of what Etraya represents. What it has is no rules on who he can and can't hang out with, and if there's a mess they're leaving behind on the train (which, they are, but the people have the robot navigator and star maps, so Gorgug doesn't really care beyond that), that's for the citizens of it to deal with: Gorgug wants to go back to the manor and be putty with his friends. His team. The Bad Boyz.
That means eating food prepared by the companion bots, snacks, and lounging around watching movies, and that's fine for Gorgug. He takes time away to check on the boy in the mirror he left at the hospital (he doesn't think he needs oxygen, but he would've been lonely, so--he wants to know that he's doing okay), and also to see that his workshop was doing okay.
But after that? He's fine with staying inside with the guys, watching slop movies and then--bed. A bed that isn't broken. A bed that he's gotten nice for his weight and how much he likes to not have to think when he drops into bed.
Except it's not his bed that he gets to, before a hand grabs his, and Gorgug looks at Fabian, blinking. Surprised (somehow, really) by the instruction given. Not a please or suggestion. ]
Okay.
[ He sounds curious, intrigued--but also, a little excited under his otherwise contained response. Like he might be assuming that this is a good thing, and Fabian's about to show him a good thing. And it could be his bed. It could be boyfriend time. And maybe a part of Gorgug still feels embarrassed about how he acted on the train with Fabian that one time, even if Fabian says he didn't mind it, but--
He's also okay with being led. He might like the idea a lot, actually, and he will happily be taken by the hand wherever Fabian wants to take him. ]
I was wondering — um. If you had any free time today?
I was thinking about going to the junkyard and looking for some parts.
[Despite everything that has happened in the last four years of his life, he still sounds like someone who is nervous that they're the uncool kid bugging someone else. Gorgug's a nice guy and it's good to have friends. Are they friends? Peter thinks they're friends.
This kind of thing was a lot easier for him once Ned was around.]
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Just wanted to check in. How are things going?
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Hey. Things are okay? I got stuck going to school
And I got a family too
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How's school?
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action; during the july mission
Then again, who would have? The series of utter shenanigans - and not even the good kind of shenanigans - that led up to this moment truly were too strange for anyone to imagine. One moment you're trying to take care of an AI baby you absolutely can't handle, then you run into your friend, and a series of shenanigans later you're sitting in the hallway of some sort of fake robot baby hospital.
.. It feels uncomfortable. For many reasons. The fact that the two of them seem to be the only people in here aside from the companion bots 'working' here, the sterile white and incredibly quiet hallway they're sitting in on some of those pathetic little plastic hospital waiting seats. It's a weird and awkward situation.
And the further they got into said weird and awkward situation, the more quiet Fabian got. At first he had still been yelling right alongside Gorgug in panic over the entire situation, but ever since the fake baby was handed over to the companion bots now working on repairing it, Fabian has grown.. quiet.
Weirdly quiet, in fact. The fact that the half-elf usually is so loud and present at any given time likely makes it stand out even more that he hasn't said a single word since they were told to wait here, even though they've been sitting here for a good twenty minutes now.
Fabian is just sitting there. He's not even looking over at Gorgug. Instead he's slumped forward, his face hidden by the two hands he's leaning it on. ]
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It's not a thought that immediately occurs to Gorgug; it's not an assumption that he's fully sure about the weight of, at first sitting down by his friend with the same vigor that brought the two of them into that hospital. In that energy, yes, of course, Gorgug could've guessed that Fabian was upset or would be upset with him. He was frantic over the situation as much as Fabian was, and his mind had been whizzing with ideas of armours and baby safety mechanisms he could make to be sure this would never happen again. He wouldn't tear off Fabian's baby's arm off ever again. Or its legs. Or the head!
But that energy is gone now, the rush of that far too long moment vanished--and its absence is loud with the quiet it leaves behind.
Gorgug knows Fabian: he doesn't do quiet. He does complaining, he should be complaining, preferably up on his feet and pacing around with his hands motioning senselessly and meaningfully at the same time. And that's where Gorgug would be listening, speaking or not, depending on how long it had been going on for. And yet--
And yet it's not happening. It hasn't been happening since they got here, and Gorgug's been giving glances at Fabian, about to speak, but then shutting his mouth again because he's not the one who should be talking. That's not how this goes.
Fabian's mad at him. And why wouldn't he be? Gorgug did this. And he's not only mad, he must be worried--because Fabian's complained a lot about what this place has done to them, and now there's the looming threat of what's going to come down on him playing on over in his head, bringing him to the state he's in. Quiet. Still. Unnerving.
Gorgug breaks things. He causes problems. His hands are curled around his knees and he feels like a version of himself he thought he was escaping. Fabian's mad, and he should be; and he can be and that's fine, and--
And Gorgug's going to be the version of himself he's been working on being. The one who doesn't fall into a silence and stays stunted, and instead the version that turns to his friend, slowly, and who opens his mouth, who might struggle to start to speak, and yet: ]
...I'll make sure they know I did it, [ he reassures, gently. Quietly. ] So, whatever they try to say--it's okay. I won't let them blame you.
[ Awkwardly. A pause. ]
I'm sorry I broke your baby, Fabian. I didn't want to break your baby.
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cw: mention of alcoholism
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action; post-mission
Usually he's ready to rant about how annoying and dumb a mission was after it ends. But right now - he's not doing any of that, and it doesn't have anything to do with his fatigue. He remembers feeling so tired and hungry and aching to the bone after that dumb maze so soon after he arrived, but that was different. Back then, he didn't have anything to do. He just dragged himself back to the apartment with Riz, let Adaine come with them, and just spent time together recovering.
He has something to do now though, in the wake of the mission. His body feels sore from all the times it's been hurt and healed over the past while, especially during the battle with Gorgug at the end, but Fabian just pushes himself through it. At least enough to help get Gorgug back to the apartment, to put him into bed so he can rest after all of this, the other - for obvious reasons - seeming even more exhausted than Fabian himself. (Or maybe just less in a state to be able to cover it up.) Only after being absolutely sure that Gorgug would be sleeping in the bed for a while does Fabian leave the other's side, going to check up on Riz, shooting off texts to his other friends in this place, trying to get a handle of the state of things and trying to make a mental list of all the things he should be doing.
(Maybe this is why Riz always pushes himself so much, Fabian thinks - it's kind of nice to not have to stop and think about yourself in the wake of these things, to just shove that off to the side and ignore it. To feel like you're doing something better, something useful.)
It doesn't take too long though before Fabian gets back to Gorgug's room though, dragging a chair in there so he can sit down by the other's bedside. He is a little worried that he might fall asleep if he just has to sit there and wait though, and he doesn't want Gorgug to first wake up here to Fabian sleeping there, so he's grabbed a hand mirror and a comb to try and salvage his hair after the disaster that this past while has been. Might as well have something to focus on that keeps him awake.
Because he has to be awake when Gorgug wakes. Fabian wants to be there for him.
What else can he do to make up for all the times he fucked up in trying to bring Gorgug back to his senses? ]
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There's no room for fear, for anger, for comprehension or emotions; he can't feel anything, not cognizant--a thing he would be happy for, if not for the contradiction that would bring. Gorgug's body makes sure of that, and perhaps even his mind, finally being able to shut down properly, finally, after every attempt at sleeping during his state was more of a fever dream than rest. There was nothing ever restful: the thing inside him would never allow it.
People told him there was something wrong with him. Fabian told him there was something wrong. Padme, Aurora--
And he never listened. He never wanted to listen.
Fabian gets some time to do everything he wants to, before Gorgug stirs. The state of his body before their last fight wasn't anything that could be defined as in adequate health, and even with the damage healed by Linhardt, the trauma suffered continues to cling to his body. Gorgug couldn't wake even if he wanted to, and Gorgug might be enough of a coward to not want to.
But he doesn't get the choice. He's also not aware of where he is, or aware enough to question it when he does start to stir. Exhaustion still weighs over his body like a building's fallen on top of it, and he moans softly, flutters his eyelids open briefly to the room in front of him.
If he sees Fabian, he doesn't acknowledge him--but then, it's a dazed motion that he follows with by closing his eyes again. Gorgug doesn't see him--his brain can't fathom Fabian being there, and so he isn't. Because all he's had day in and day out is the dark thoughts that plagued his mind, and the sweat and grime, the stench of dirt and blood, that continue to stick to his clothes. To his skin.
To everything. ]
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text | un; mason (because why not)
hey it's heather, it's been a while. I never did get a gun in the end.
how have you been?
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oh hey. sorry you didn't get a gun
im okay. ive been working with the bots to make transport vehicles from the parts left over after the race
how did your team do?
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action; at the party
Is he at the party anyway? Yes. A part of it is the fact that he didn't fully want to ignore someone's invitation - despite not knowing Heather well, she seemed nice enough when they spoke before - but that by itself wouldn't have done it with the mood Fabian has often found himself in lately. But getting quite literally dragged there by a friend is something Fabian can resist even less, so even though it's with an incredible amount of reluctance in his heart and a determination to not stay at the party for too long, Fabian does go. He even does his hair and dresses up for it, because even when he doesn't want to go to a party in the first place, he definitely will not be caught dead looking awful at a party, thanks.
But then there's the venue, and--
Honestly, Fabian has very little memory of what happened after that. He's talked to people, probably. Maybe he's done some stuff. It all blurs together in his mind, a haze behind the thoughts of what the fuck and where the fuck is Gorgug.
A haze that only clears a little bit when he finally gets an answer to the latter question once he manages to find the half-orc at the party. You'd think an incredibly tall friend with green skin would be easy enough to find in a world that isn't quite as diverse as the one they come from, but it feels like it's taken an eternity already by the time Fabian finally manages to spot the other, making his way through the crowd to approach the other. ]
Gorgug! [ He immediately hisses, one hand moving over, a finger extending until he's practically poking Gorgug in the chest in the most accusatory way possible. ] What did you do?!
[ I-Is Fabian angry? Is he upset? It might be difficult to tell, especially for one simple Gorgug.. He sure does seem worked up over something, though. It's some real dramatic Fabian energy. ]
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He arrived before Fabian or Riz to this event. It was his help that got Heather this venue, and he also somehow ended up assisting with the food, which....honestly, just involved asking the companion bots for help and then taking some brownies and shrimp along with him too, since he can handle that much (and also, shrimps belong at a party? it's just a thing now, okay).
Gorgug also dressed up for the event, as much as Gorgug dressed up for anything. He's chosen some level of familiarity comfort, a hooded jacket with jeans and a shirt--simple, but more than his usual attire of a less patterned hoodie and jeans. Come on, he knows how to dress a little up!
And since he's lending a hand (or two) to Heather, it also means that Gorgug is on the move than one might expect--he's not as still as Fabian would like, which leads to the time apart before that half-elf comes with the demanding, prodding weapon-- ]
Do you like it?
[ And Gorgug is smiling, hopeful, looking down at his friend with a drink in his hand. There's been a level of nerves in him all day, and going through the party itself hasn't gotten rid of them: because they were never about the party. They were for Fabian, and here he is now, the man of the hour. Of the night.
He's watching him, heart anticipating, an open mouth smile that shows entirely his tusks. ]
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cw: sexual language be in this thread, avert ur eyes
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after party;
It's also probably the best thing that's happened to Gorgug in a while. Even if, sure, coming to understand his friend's needs and where they're at should rank higher, and-- okay, it does rank higher. There's been a lot of feelings that had to come out and be said, and Gorgug appreciates that. But going back out to the party after what happened between him and Fabian was-- a lot, actually. More than Gorgug knew to be prepared for, and catching Fabian out of the corner of his vision was agonising. He had to look away. He had to tell himself to stop looking to catch his eye back, because--he always would. And it wasn't safe.
Maybe staying around was a bad thing, all things considered.
Gorgug chills out, somewhat, through it. Enough that at least when he gets back to the apartment with the others, he controls himself; he's loaded with an excuse on his tongue the entire time to speak with Fabian in private, but he hangs around in the chatter after their return. To hear Riz's thoughts, to contribute to the flow of the conversation.
And whether it's intentional or not, when Fabian announces that he's going to bed, Gorgug gives it a second or so before he slips out his, 'Oh, I wanna talk to you about something before you sleep. You go-- I wanna change.'
It gives him time. Gives them both time. No reason to catch Riz's attention (hopefully), and those five minutes should be enough to put him and Fabian out of Riz's mind. He can really do with changing too, Gorgug thinks; out from that night's clothes, and sparing a minute to splash his face with water. He knows what he wants, but he's telling himself he's going to hold back. He's going to resist. He's going to let Fabian speak first, as he always does, whether Gorgug wants that or not.
Gorgug gets to Fabian's room, knocks and waits for a response, then enters on in after it. Shuts the door behind him, turning with his back to it on the other side; looks over at Fabian, and-- ]
Can I kiss you?
[ He doesn't wait, eyes filled with both reservation and hope, his voice the same thing. Anticipating, waiting; and yet still mild enough that if he were to receive a no, he could swallow the disappointment well enough. Hide it, and not make a show.
The mood inside the booth is no longer with them, but still, Gorgug defers to Fabian. ]
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But even with the mood Fabian has been in recently - the same mood that would not have brought him to said party in the first place, if not for a whole lot of what has apparently turned out to be Gorgug's social engineering - he didn't want to commit the social faux pas of leaving early. Especially when it might end up with him being asked questions. Or people assuming that he's feeling bad when the problem is of a different nature altogether.
So he also did his best. Staying there, talking with friends, even engaging in some activities, despite the fact that he felt shaky on his own legs the entire time. Drained. Spent.
But if there is anything Fabian Aramais Seacaster is good at, it's faking it. And he managed to do so relatively successfully, even walking back to their apartment. Even hanging around for a bit of boy after-talk. Maybe it was inevitable though that he would be the first one to announce he was retiring, given that he felt absolutely drained after the party. He did want to talk to Gorgug one on one a little-- about what happened, and to ask him for another request, and maybe more - but he realizes he's probably not going to get that tonight, and if he has to keep standing for a few more moments, he might awkwardly collapse to the ground.
He didn't quite expect the boldness on Gorgug's part. It makes him stop mid-walk to his bedroom, his eye growing wide in surprise as he stares at the door. He turns his head to nod in return, but then quickly enters his room - not wanting his reaction to give anything away here.
Fabian has just about enough energy left to change out of his party outfit - the clothes randomly discarded in the room for now, the half-elf figuring he can take care of that problem tomorrow - and into some silk pyjama pants. He does spend a moment considering putting on a top, but Gorgug did want to come talk, and-- Did he just want to talk? Should Fabian anticipate something?
.. he has no clue, but he sleeps topless half of the time anyway, so he leaves the top for what it is, keeping only the pants on as he makes his way over to the edge of his bed, allowing himself to topple backwards onto it. Lying there on his back, staring at the ceiling - and seriously feeling that drained energy getting to him now.
The knock on his door jolts him out of a near-sleep accidentally happening, and Fabian quickly sits up on the edge of the bed instead, telling the other he can come in. Expecting a talk, likely--
-- or maybe anything that's not those words right away.
It's not like Fabian doesn't understand where they come from. He's pretty sure Gorgug must have been feeling the same way he did at the party, especially when Gorgug glanced away so quickly every single time their gazes met. There's a strangeness about sharing something together and then spending a few hours pretending it never happened. Like something that is yet to be continued.
Is this said continuation? Fabian isn't sure how far Gorgug wants to do, and he'd like their first time going further to be a situation that allows Fabian to be a little bit more of an active participant than he feels like right now, but kisses--
Kisses can't hurt, right? And he wants it. Not just because it's once again nice to see Gorgug desire him so openly - immediately spreading another dark hue from the tips of his ears - but also because Fabian wants those kisses too.
He has to duck his head for a slight moment, fighting some oncoming fluster, but smiles again by the time he raises his head to look at poor Gorgug standing there in clear and full anticipation. ]
If you can come here. [ Fabian says, patting a spot next to him on the edge of the bed. ] I think someone here has made it so I can't even walk anymore.
[ At least it's a clear lighthearted joke. Fabian doesn't seem to mind at all, maybe even mixing in a faint hint of teasing at that last part. ]
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action | after Heather’s party
Hank doesn’t know where Gorgug lives, so he asks the RoboCops for help — gasp! — to leave him a note and a gift.
The note reads:
The gift is, predictably, a six-pack of beer. Hopefully it doesn’t have any ill effects — not more than the usual, anyway.
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But hey, maybe he can help the guy out--in a sense. It takes him a while to think, but the next day, Hank will receive a visit from a companion bot himself (or when he's available to receive a visit) with two items from Gorgug: a letter, and a string bag. Inside the string bag appears to be a hip flask inside with the words Hank's Beer. It's simple, and seems to be handmade.
And the note inside the letter reads:It's beer, alright: and by beer, we mean cold, fresh water.
But it sure does refill if Hank manages to drink 330ml from it each day. Or, you know, if he drinks less. Let's see if Hank ever figures out these details for himself.
[midway-later december]
The building is still enough of a novelty to hang out in (it's more new than old, still), and Gorgug thinks it isn't a bad idea to skip a few of his heavier projects for time with his new boyfriend. Even if said boyfriend has been a long time friend, and hanging out together at lunch (or a late lunch) isn't new itself, either. But they're exploring their relationship under this new designation, so they should do the kinds of things couples do, right?
And Gorgug does have a lot of effort to return to Fabian, especially when it comes to hanging out in their spot. So: he's here for a late lunch. Which is titled as such because someone has to make sure Riz is up for eating, and that guy has to be Fabian, currently. Which means that Gorgug gets to bring lunch for himself, and maybe he can watch Fabian dance, or they can sit and chill?
Regardless, Gorgug arrives to the studio wrapped up snug in a jacket (with a hood) and backpack on, peering into the different dance rooms until he finds the one Fabian is in. Watching him for a second, before letting himself in.
Hi, Fabian. What'cha up to? Gorgug will have a light smile and a wave to greet you with, even if he has to give it to the mirror. ]
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He grins the moment he spots the other in the mirror, and continues just a few more dance moves until he does fully spin around to greet the other. The music he was using to practice still plays on, but Fabian doesn't seem to mind it enough to turn it off - or maybe he just has different priorities, stepping over towards Gorgug and standing a little bit more on his toes in order to press a peck onto the other's lips. ]
I didn't know you were stopping by. [ Judging by both Fabian's tone and his facial expression though, this isn't a bad thing. Not in the slightest. He seems pleased enough with it.
Not like he won't have more time to practice his dancing - which will be useful if things get dire again, surely - in this place anyway. He can stop for a moment, though the fact he's been practicing hard will likely become obvious pretty quickly to Gorgug. When Fabian takes a step backwards, his skin is shining with sweat, even though he's wearing very thin clothing for dance practice in the first place. ]
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action; a while into the train mission
Which is pretty good for trying to squeeze information out of people, yes, but it also makes traversing this entire train a lot easier. It's still not something Fabian can really do much with how busy he is with the work he's been given, but the moment he sees even the chance to slip away for a moment, he instantly goes for it.
Donning a similar guise to the one he had while talking to Lady Kestrel - a little older, fully human, this time ditching the eye patch to make himself seem like he has two eyes or his look might give away too much for this different purpose - it's not all that hard to slip past the Neon carriages and further down towards the Sprawl area, trying to spot an area where Gorgug likely might be busy with some engineering work.
It doesn't take too long, especially when Fabian just opts to follow the sounds of said engineering work. The moment he spots the half-orc, a grin spreads across his face, and he doesn't hesitate to walk right over to the other. ]
Working here all by yourself, handsome?
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It's the reason his part of the table has been covered in electronic and tools, and Gorgug has his goggles down, his back hunched as he tries to fix the wiring on a particularly pesky project. The voice makes his jump a little, his headphones not quite on right, and he squints through his goggles at the figure looking down above him. His appearance, his face. His style of dress. ]
....are you lost?
[ He's confused, but-- maybe this guy needs directions? ]
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text to soon/eventual action; post-mission
don't come back to the manor just yet
wait until i give you a sign
this is VERY IMPORTANT make sure to not ignore this text!!!!!!!! [ --writes the frequent text ignorer. ]
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...double huh. Let him just send a message through Voice to Text: ]
What's the sign?
1/2
2/2; action
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action; right after the mission
And it's easy to blame that on Fabian being Fabian - really, patience is not his main virtue, and that's putting it mildly - but can you really blame him? That train mission might not have been the worst one they've been through, but he could easily name a whole lot of bad and dumb things about it. And one of the things on that list, perhaps even the one at the very top, might have been the fact he was separated from his friends like that.
So he immediately makes up with it. The moment they're back and off the train, the half-elf immediately drags his friends into some fun, yet kind of low-key activity-- in this case watching a movie together with some takeout meal. And when it's time to go to bed, Fabian immediately grabs Gorgug's hand after Riz has already departed to go to his room to sleep.
He grins at his boyfriend. ]
You're coming with me, actually.
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That means eating food prepared by the companion bots, snacks, and lounging around watching movies, and that's fine for Gorgug. He takes time away to check on the boy in the mirror he left at the hospital (he doesn't think he needs oxygen, but he would've been lonely, so--he wants to know that he's doing okay), and also to see that his workshop was doing okay.
But after that? He's fine with staying inside with the guys, watching slop movies and then--bed. A bed that isn't broken. A bed that he's gotten nice for his weight and how much he likes to not have to think when he drops into bed.
Except it's not his bed that he gets to, before a hand grabs his, and Gorgug looks at Fabian, blinking. Surprised (somehow, really) by the instruction given. Not a please or suggestion. ]
Okay.
[ He sounds curious, intrigued--but also, a little excited under his otherwise contained response. Like he might be assuming that this is a good thing, and Fabian's about to show him a good thing. And it could be his bed. It could be boyfriend time. And maybe a part of Gorgug still feels embarrassed about how he acted on the train with Fabian that one time, even if Fabian says he didn't mind it, but--
He's also okay with being led. He might like the idea a lot, actually, and he will happily be taken by the hand wherever Fabian wants to take him. ]
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SURPRISE!!!!!!! voice.
Hey, Gorgug! It's Peter.
I was wondering — um. If you had any free time today?
I was thinking about going to the junkyard and looking for some parts.
[Despite everything that has happened in the last four years of his life, he still sounds like someone who is nervous that they're the uncool kid bugging someone else. Gorgug's a nice guy and it's good to have friends. Are they friends? Peter thinks they're friends.
This kind of thing was a lot easier for him once Ned was around.]
w-whoa!!!
Who knew someone could be so thoughtful? Gorgug hopes that's it...! ]
Hey-- yeah, you want to meet there? You want me to bring my van? What're you looking for?
[ If Peter's paying attention to how Gorgug sounds, the answer is: delighted, if surprised. But he sounds far from unsure about the offer. ]
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