etrayamemes | TDM 002

Entry tags:

!tdm

TDM 002

⏵ arrival⏴
Arrival goes as anticipated. Characters awaken in the pristine, new hospital, greeted by Aurora and potentially getting a rundown of what's happening depending on their approach to being dropped somewhere new. The door to their room opens, and new arrivals are left free to explore their new environment.

When the first round of citizens arrived, Aurora and the companion bots had been largely unprepared. This time? They made sure to put up welcome banners, even if the sentiment isn't quite right. There are cupcakes and cookies set out in the hospital's lobbies, and a digital map has been placed just in front of the entrance of the hospital, telling others how to reach the various locations throughout Etraya. Companion bots wander throughout the city, some carrying construction equipment to half-built facilities while others act as nurses, servers, or sales associates throughout the constructed buildings.

⏵ rainy awakenings ⏴

Many concepts are new to Aurora, including rain. She is familiar with how it functions, and its purpose, but rain has never been present on the lands of Etraya. Given how new it is, that may not be all too surprising - but the method of how it’s being introduced is… a little much. Rainfall commences in the early days of April, a persistent downpour that waxes and wanes in intensity but never ceases entirely.

Most nights in Etraya are characterized by a soothing patter of rain against rooftops. Yet, some nights leave the grounds flooded come morning. Rivers begin to swell, the current much too strong to justify trying to go for a swim. These showers also bring a new assortment of plants blooming across the green lands: bright blossoms whose petals spread wide when the yellow sun shines down on them, while numerous cherry blossom trees have grown out of nowhere, flourishing despite the rainfall. Clover carpets the grassy expanses of the islands, weaving a beautiful tapestry of color across the grounds.

⏵ Getting drenched by the rain can trigger a surge, followed by a slump. Initially, individuals will feel giddy, excited, full of energy, and ready to take on the world. However, in the subsequent days, they’ll find themselves feeling depressed, lacking the energy and motivation to move forward. Aurora advises that these effects are only temporary and should fade within the week, but they can be resolved more quickly by embracing a stranger. Attempting to hug anyone they already know well will not produce the same effect.

⏵ With the rain comes a significant increase in the greenery around Etraya that isn’t fake. Most of these plants will resemble ones originally found in the characters' universes.

⏵ A couple of these plants contain magical properties:

The Emberloom is a bright red, fiery flower that only inhabits smaller land masses. Those exposed to its pollen will experience heightened aggression and impulsivity.

Shadowbloom resemble tulips during the day, but during the night the petals open and it looks more like the night sky: dark petals with specs of white throughout them. Growing too close to the apartment building for comfort, those who look at the petals after nightfall will fall into a deep sleep. Worse yet: the dreams they find themselves in are not their own, but are the dreams of other residents. Ones who had not looked into the Shadowbloom, but had drifted off to sleep elsewhere on the planet. The one who looked into the Shadowbloom will find they cannot awaken until the person whose dream they have entered does.

These flowers will continue to bloom through April, after which the companion bots will search for and remove them from the atmosphere bubble.

⏵ If there is a specific, unique plant that those in game (or those accepted during the next round!) would like to add, please comment to the LOCATIONS page! We’ll add mentions of these to the Outskirts section.

Along with the botanical resurgence, numerous new animals appear: glowing fish swim freely through the waters. In the canopy above, new species of birds and critters flit among the branches. Some diligently construct new nests in anticipation of the coming spring, while others seek refuge in the shelter of trees, retreating from the weather.

Not all the creatures are so small, or so peaceful.

⏵ Small critters make themselves comfortable in the forested area around Etraya, staying mostly out of the way. There are the occasional visitors that will let themselves in through windows for a quick visit, or maybe a snack, but they’re mostly harmless.

⏵ Several larger beasts make their way into the city to try and find land that’s more habitable for them. Giraffes navigate gracefully through the areas designated for new arrivals, using their elongated necks to reach for the foliage near the hospital when they aren’t finding new places to make themselves comfortable. An eclectic array of cats, ranging in all sizes and breeds, brazenly saunter into buildings they don’t belong. Hopefully, the lioness lounging in the apartment complex's common area does not prevent residents from reaching their rooms, because she has no intention of yielding.

⏵ The leopard adorned with a rattlesnake tail in the hospital's cafeteria may be difficult to ignore, given his determination to devour everything in sight and attack anyone in his way.

⏵ Cat scratches and bites pose a significant risk of infection. In the event a character is injured, individuals can expect the companion bots to quickly seek them out and approach them with a special antibiotic cream developed specifically for these cats. Refusal of treatment may result in severe symptoms, including high fevers and itching. In extreme cases, individuals may begin to exhibit cat-like characteristics, ranging from physical alterations to changes in mental traits.

⏵ Numerous other creatures of all shapes and sizes will be coming and going through the city. You may play with this as you wish!

While the uproar caused by these guests doesn’t particularly bother Aurora, she does send out a message to everyone wearing an earpiece to request their assistance in capturing the larger animals that her companion bots may not be able to handle themselves. She has converted an island to the East into a temporary holding area until the companion bots can set them up with something a little more permanent.

⏵ network ⏴

Welcome to Etraya! Upon your arrival, Aurora provided an earpiece, a device to make communication with others stuck in the same situation more simple. The device connects to an internal network, which is accessible by everyone else currently residing on planet. Whether you’re looking for guidance, camaraderie, or want to see if there are any familiar faces around, this is the perfect place to do it! Please feel free to post any questions, offer your name, ask for assistance, or maybe complain to the powers that be about how you’ve got better things to be doing than sitting around here completing their missions. Maybe they’re listening. Maybe they’re not.

⏵ NOTES⏴

⏵ During April, Etraya’s getting a little wet! Those who spend too long in the rain may experience a few unfortunate effects.

⏵ The rain brings in new flora, including a couple that may cause characters to experience aggression and impulsivity, or take a stroll through others’ dreams.

⏵ New animals also appear! While many of them are friendly, others… are less so. The cats specifically seem to be a little grumpy. Characters scratched or bitten by these cats may find themselves becoming just as catty.

For any questions relating to the contents of this log, please reply below. All other questions can be directed to the FAQ. The TDM is game canon, meaning everything happening above is occurring within the game properly. Those who apply to join in the April application round may keep their TDM threads as game canon.

⏵FULL NAVIGATION⏴

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He's just nodding when Riz asks him that first question. After all, despite the look and the tone the other is using with him, Fabian is just taking it as a normal question, rather than Riz questioning the action itself. After all, how could Riz find the idea of getting a tattoo weird when Fabian has seen his arms? Clearly this is just Riz making sure he's got the story right, rather than Riz questioning the parental choices of Bill Seacaster.

Besides, that last part? It's way weirder to Fabian, making him frown as he thinks. ]

Kalina..

[ .. well, it's possible, right? They saw her a few months ago at the mall, and Fabian is pretty sure he heard mention of her being involved in.. whatever that weird Mordred Manor hellscape had been at the bottom of Riz's briefcase. For a moment Fabian is threatened to be filled up with concern about Riz, because what if he got taken or kidnapped and they never noticed--

-- but then he realises something. ]

No, that can't be the case. You spoke with your father, and surely he would know if that happened. [ Not that the Bad Kids don't care about Riz and all, but.. well, they're not always the best at seeing through these things.. But Riz's dad? No way it would slip by him, even if they didn't communicate in person. ] Maybe there's some other reason you were there, but don't remember it now? Like.. erm..

[ Hold on, he's really trying to think here! Especially since he doesn't want there to be anything wrong with Riz. ]

.. chronomancy?

[ It's always chronomancy. ]

[ Riz's brow furrows deeper once Fabian mentions his father. He could almost delude himself into thinking that he's messing with him, but... as a newly appointed member of the Dead Dads Club, Riz knows that's not something that he would invoke lightly, especially since he shouldn't even know that that's where Riz had gone. He slaps his hands over his eyes with a low groan as the truth of Fabian's statement hits him. ]

Chronomancy, [ he agrees, clearly cross. ] Fuuuuck. As though all of this wasn't complicated enough. Ughhh. [ He drops from the counter so that he can pace properly, rubbing at his chin, trying to sort it out. If Fabian is from the future, that means that they survive Spring Break and defeat the Nightmare King, which is undeniably good news, albeit good news that Riz had already more or less assumed. Them not being victorious simply wasn't on option, both because they had to save the world and because Riz was not going through this shit without getting an A at the end. ]

Where I'm from - when I'm from - we're still in the middle of Spring Break. Which means that I'm still infected, so you can't tell me anything about how we dealt with the Nightmare King, okay? Not unless we figure out if Kalina can watch me into this plane or not. I'm not sure how time paradoxes would work, considering, but I'm not willing to risk my timeline getting screwed over.

[ He almost wants to ask if he gets the finishing blow on Kalina. He'd really like to kill her himself after everything she's put them through. ]

But clearly you're from, what, summer break? Junior year? [ It's not on-topic. They have timelines to unwind. But it falls out of his mouth before he has a chance to stop it, something hopeful in his tone. ]

I get to talk to my Dad again?

[ He thought he might be able to. But it didn't seem like a sure thing, not really -- an emergency evacuation to Heaven seemed like a one-time thing, and he doesn't know what the rules are vis a vis contacting the living. They had to be strict, Riz thinks, or his Dad would have been talking to him this entire time... wouldn't he? ]

[ You don't have to tell him twice, Riz. Fabian's lips are sealed-- which he's more than willing to demonstrate by making a zipping motion in front of his mouth. Not a word about that stuff from him.. As long as his brain-to-mouth filter keeps functioning, anyway!

Though Fabian does realise it means there's a lot he can't talk about. After all, even if the entire Nightmare King business is over, a lot of the stuff that happened over the past half year did have to do with Cassandra, and some of it with Kalina too.. Maybe it's just better to stick to anything that isn't related to their usual adventures when talking to this past Riz then, he figures.

The time of year should be fine though, right? ]

Between winter break and spring break. Junior year, yeah.

[ .. besides.. the other question should be fair game too. Sure, it still remotely had to do with what they were looking into, but.. there's no way he can't answer that question.

He can see that look in Riz's eyes, after all. Especially now Fabian gets it so much. He knows exactly what it's like when your dad is on another plane that you can't just zip yourself over to or even really contact that easily. It's an entirely different brand of longing than your dad just being plain dead, and rare enough that it almost feels like a huge coincidence that the two of them just happen to have this in common. ]

And you do! [ Whatever. If this creates some time paradox, Riz can blame him later-- but this is news he can't keep from the other, especially when Fabian starts smiling instinctively when he says this. Just because he's that happy for his friend when it comes to this. ] I think you contacted him through your watch. I mean..

[ His voice trails off a little, and he gives the other a knowing smile as Fabian moves to lean against the edge of a table in the apartment, getting a little more comfortable. ]

It's hard to come by ways to contact your father when he's that far away, huh?

[ Not just Riz's.

Though, speaking of-- ]

Wait, The Ball! That means you also don't know that my papa and your father are actually in touch with each other up-- no, down-- [ ... ] Up and down there, I mean! [ HOWEVER PLANES WORK. This is too complicated for poor Fabian's mind, okay. This is why he's not a wizard!! Look at how wildly he's gesturing to try and show his point. ] Isn't that great? It's like our friendship is destined! Seacaster-Gukgak solidarity across generations!

[ Fabian's a whole year ahead of him... normally, this would be worth a not-insignificant amount of brooding. They're here, kidnapped in this strange place and told all these strange things, his friend is from the future and can't even properly give him any clues as to how they manage to solve the quandary that Riz still feels stuck in, they have no way of getting home, and now Riz is the only one who could be compromising their safety due to Kalina's presence that lives deep within him, has lived deep within him since birth.

But right now? Absolutely none of that feels like it matters, not even a little bit. Instead, he's practically vibrating with excitement, not bothering to hold back the wide grin that threatens to split his face in two, chest aching in a way it has been ever since he caught a glimpse of his Dad tied to that chair. For so long, he's lived with his Dad as nothing more than a spectre cast over his life, a few memories he clung to with all the ferocity that he could, a lingering emptiness, a hero that he couldn't possibly live up to.

And in the last twelve hours, his father has suddenly coalesced from an idea into a whole person. A whole person who loves him, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a whole person he'll get to see again. ]

Whoa. [ He looks down at his wrist, a little awed. ] He never mentioned that about the watch! He just said it was for cool spy stuff!

[ He can't even worry about a time paradox right now. He doesn't even give a shit. This won't matter to Kalina, or to the Nightmare King; this is all about Riz and Fabian and their Dads. ]

I just, I just -- [ he has to pause for a second the way he has to when he gets a little overexcited, too many words trying to spill out all at once, back to pacing the floor. ] I just got back from seeing my dad for the first time in -- so long! Like, literally, I got here just as he was teleporting me back to you guys. And we get to talk again?

[ In a year's time? That's so soon! He can't wait to tell his mom all about it. ]

That's awesome. And you get to talk to your Dad too! [ Fabian and The Ball: not even death can separate them from their fathers. He can't pretend he's not touched by Fabian's declaration of destined friendship either, the memory of the way Fabian used to just brush him off freshman year nothing more than a distant shadow. ]

That's so cool, dude. Generational solidarity. [ What would they even talk about? Whatever. If anyone can hold their own against Mr. Seacaster, it's his Dad. They must even get along. ] How did they even start talking? What, like, some sort of afterlife PTA?

[ Life had felt so... bad, when he was younger. He'd been so lonely. But everything Fabian is telling him means that they defeat the Nightmare King, they all stay the best of friends, and they even still get to talk to their dead loved ones. It's been hard to keep sight of everything good during their endless Spring Break trek, but he can feel vigor returning to him, a reminder of just how lucky he is. Everything's coming up Gukgak. ]

[ Truthfully, there probably should be other things they should be talking about or doing right now. Even if Fabian can't impart anything about what happened back home since the time Riz last remembers, they should probably be investigating this place like Riz was doing a moment ago. They should get down to business so they can figure out what's up here and reunite with their friends ASAP, but..

Riz looks so happy, Fabian thinks. It's not like they haven't had happy moments over the past few months, but he also knows that they've been under a large amount of stress. Riz in particular. It's been hard to catch even a moment of the other guy's time with the way he's triple-booked his entire agenda full of extracurriculars, and sometimes Fabian can't help but think just how tired he's seemed through it all.

Is it then really so bad to want a little bit more of this? To just give his friend a moment to be happy, rather than having to worry about it all. Doesn't Riz deserve it? ]

Please, you know our fathers are far too cool for that. [ He even huffs. Dramatically. No better way to keep them on this topic for a few more moments than to be dumb and dramatic about it, right. ] As far as I could gather, it seems that papa is selling information to your father. I'm sure he must gather quite a bit of it, going around Hell like that!

So your Dad's, like, my Dad's man on the inside?

[ That's cool as hell. In many ways, Riz is aware that despite his juvenile admiration for Fabian, they're the least remarkable of the Bad Kids; among the Elven Oracle, two famous rock stars, and the creator of an entirely new god (no matter how poorly conceived), he and Fabian are just... guys. Guys with really badass parents - well, a badass Dad on Fabian's part - but still just a couple of dudes.

But that goes for Pok Gukgak and Bill Seacaster too. They forged their own paths in the world, and now they're still doing it in the afterlife. That'll be him and Fabian one day, he thinks, though he privately thinks that Fabian is much more likely to go to Heaven than his father. They're still young, though, and Fabian has many years ahead to go violently swashbuckling if he chooses to, even if he probably won't. He's a little too nice for that.

In many ways, Fabian's observations are absolutely correct. Despite being on a terrifying quest, the vestiges of his father's past dogging his heels, the horror of what the Abernants had gone through and the trials and tribulations of Leviathan, Riz looks happier now than he does later on. He's always thrived underneath this sort of pressure, took to adventuring with the sort of gleeful relish that simply can't be taught, flourishing in a way their entire party can't with the greater realities of continued education, financial insecurity and school politics weighing on their shoulders. As it turns out, life-threatening peril is a lot less stressful than dealing with life. ]

That's awesome. I wonder what my Dad's even giving him to make it worth his while. Apparently he gets paid in faith and good wishes, which is like... not really your Dad's style.

[ It doesn't matter what Bill gets from it anyway. It's just neat to think that their Dads are up - and down - there, getting shit done they always did in life. ]

Thanks for telling me, man. I know that this chronomancy stuff can be tricky, but I think... that sort of thing is okay for me to know. But hey! You're old now, right? You've gotta be eighteen by now.

[ A full-fledged adult!

With a Maximum Legend neck tattoo! You know, like real adults! ]

[ .. Fabian is definitely briefly imagining his father's reaction to being paid in faith and good wishes..

It's somewhere right in the middle of being comical and likely pretty intimidating to most people who aren't Fabian and don't have the weird sort of relationship that only he has with Bill Seacaster. Yeah, Fabian figures, it's more likely that Riz's dad probably has some access to other stuff to pay his father with.. Maybe they do have some gold up there for special occasions or something..

It fades right from his mind though the moment Riz brings up his age. It'd be easy to take offense to that mention of being old, but Fabian is just at the exact age where it's still actually a compliment to be the older one. It means you're the cooler one, right.

Hence why he grins. ]

Of course! I'm an adult now!

[ Said.. with a tone that indicates he is very clearly not an adult. But let a boy dream.. ]

In fact, I have a banker now. [ That's an adult thing, right-- ] And I am going to grab him by the scrotum! [ --mmmaybe not. ]

Not to mention that I am in charge of Seacaster Manor!

[ All filed right under the category of "things Riz can probably know without breaking the time continuum, but which still would be better for Riz to have to never hear of for the sake of his sanity." ]

Please don't grab your banker by the balls. He'll hate that.

[ He doesn't even question why that's the first thing that popped into Fabian's head. In his time with his friends, Riz has learned that sometimes it's better just not to ask, and he feels that he doesn't need to know the full story behind that particular escapade.

Admittedly, if anyone deserves a good ball-gripping, it's probably a banker, but now's not the time to get into all that. ]

But -- wait, go back, what do you mean you're in charge of the Manor now? What about your Mom, and Gilear? They didn't move out, did they?

[ Hallariel and Gilear, moving off into a little elven loveshack. It's the kind of horrifying thought that could give a guy nightmares. ]

How about Cathilda? I'm pretty sure she's the one who's actually in charge over there.

Oh, well..

[ ...

His voice definitely just.. trails off for a moment without him really saying anything else here.. It's that typical Fabian thing where you can just tell he's about to make some shit up and he's just buying some time, even though he's trying incredibly hard to pass it off here as something much more casual. ]

She went back to Leviathan a while ago. And then mama and Gilear-- she decided to take that man on a cruise. [ THAT MAN, YES!! Refusing to accept his stepdad.. You can't make him.. If anyone is getting an eye roll over the cruise decision, it's Gilear, since clearly his mother couldn't be the one in the wrong here, right.

It's all Gilear's fault for making his life worse!! ]

And it's a year-long cruise, so.. that's why I am the one in charge now! [ He makes a dramatic gesture. ] Running a manor, and gripping bankers by the scrotum! [ DID YOU NOT EVEN LISTEN TO RIZ JUST NOW, FABIAN.. ]

Oh, huh.

[ A year-long cruise. Now that's some real rich people shit. And, Riz reflects, a true leap of faith on Hallariel's part; after spending about a week straight with Gilear, he tries to imagine being stuck with him on a boat for an entire year and has to withold a shudder considering the sheer volume of yogurt-related crimes and probable drowning incidents they'd go through in a single month.

More than that, the idea of staying all alone in a big, empty house is a little nightmarish to Riz. Sure, he and his Mom can go days without seeing each other, both entirely consumed in their work and odd hours, but it's... different to just miss each other. Sure, it gets lonely. But there are notes on the fridge held up by kitschy magnets, pots of coffee waiting for each other, wrapped-up leftovers, text messages of I'll do the dishes, don't touch them! But Fabian looks -- fine with it? Maybe? Riz doesn't really want to harsh his vibe. ]

Well, you are eighteen, [ he concedes with the conviction of a sixteen year old's idea of what constitutes as an adult, and with the air of someone just trying to figure out what to say. ] Kinda sucks that they're gonna be gone for so long, though. Are you... liking having the place to yourself? I guess you can probably do whatever you want now.

[ Probably having, like, a lot of sex. That's very important to Fabian. The only thing more important to Fabain, Riz considers, is the now-extinct repelling force of the possibility of Gilear walking in on him -- you know. Doing it. ]

Yeah, it's great.

[ He even lets out one of those pompous little huffs as he's saying it. Fabian? Overcompensating to try and hide something? Why, he would never. That's why he didn't even have to think about the answer he's giving Riz here. Because he's that sure of it. Because it's clearly just the objective truth, and not Fabian being desperate to quickly cover up every single part about the situation that he doesn't want in full view. ]

Doing anything I want is amazing. Really, mama should have considered doing so earlier-- but I suppose that leaving me alone while I was underage without even Cathilda around would have been "illegal." [ Yes, he's making air quotes with his fingers. Probably not hard to guess where he got that opinion of the word illegal from, right. ]

I've even been able to invite the entire school over for a sick party! Really, you should've been there! [ .. a pause, and then he realises: ] Well, I mean-- you were there, or.. you're still going to be there.

[ This is why chronomancy is the worst. How dare it force Fabian to actually have to think.. ]

So you really have something to look forward to, man! Trust me, it's going to be a party unlike any you've ever seen. I'm almost jealous that you still get to experience it!

[ Fabian's got his overcompensating voice on again.

It's only a little different from his normal sense of pompousness, when he's huffing about going to sleep in his king-sized bed, or whining about having to eat ham from a can, but it's different enough. It's kind of pre-dancer Fabian, Riz considers. Calling it out probably isn't the right move, though. What the hell is Riz going to do? Call his mom an asshole for just up and leaving for a whole year?

No. Insulting other people's parents isn't the move. He learned in middle school that you're supposed to feel out how the other person feels before going straight for, sounds like your mom's being kind of a dick. So he just nods. ]

I dunno. I have a hard time picturing any party better than the ones where it's just us Bad Kids, [ Riz says, as blisteringly earnest as ever, as though lying never even crosses his mind. ] Or -- us Bad Kids, plus Tracker and Ragh.

But as long as you guys are all there too, I'm sure I'll like it... did like it? [ He scratches at the back of his head. ] Whatever. Either way, I hope you didn't get too used to having that huge place to yourself, 'cause I'm not sleeping in this creepy apartment on my own.

[ He could use someone to go all german shepherd while he sleeps. And in Fig's absence, he's pretty sure Fabian can at least pull off something more like an attack borzoi. ]

[ ...

Forget about his mom. Forget about his bragging about having the manor to himself. Hell - even forget about the shrimp party, even though Fabian is pretty sure it's the single most epic party Elmville has ever experienced.

It all immediately flies out of the window the moment Riz mentions that last part. Fabian's eye immediately grows a little wider as he stares at the other, but he doesn't even speak up immediately, just.. gawking in silence for a moment. It's only after said moment that he seems to regain his voice. ]

You.. want to share an apartment with me?

[ Fabian is trying real damn hard to sound cool about this, but he's rapidly failing that exercise. Then again, how is he supposed to stay cool in the face of this? He was fully prepared to be living by himself again here, just in a way smaller place than he did back home, but.. one of his friends is standing in front of him, saying he wants to share a living space with him. Fabian can't say that he hasn't dreamed about this exact thing in the half year that he's been sitting home alone now. ]

.. for real? I mean-- You and me?

[ Feeling so normal right now. ]

[ Riz feels himself begin to sweat as Fabian does very little but stare at him for a second, smile a little strained as he cocks his head at him, trying his damnedest to read his expression. The less he knows someone, the easier it is to read them, he finds. No, that's not quite right -- the less he knows about someone, the less worried he typically is about how they'll react to something, and that tends to cloud his vision more than anything else. Was it weird of him to suggest living together? Sure, Riz is used to the perpetual sleepover that is the Hangvan, but Fabian's a whole year ahead of him, with a big house to himself, and a big king-sized mattress he's gone to great pains to emphasize the importance of. ]

Yeah? [ His brows knit. ] Was that a weird thing to ask?

[ Riz has learned, over the years, that the only thing weirder than the stuff that comes out of his mouth sometimes is his tendency to ask people immediately afterwards if it was weird to say it. It has not stopped him from asking anyway. And besides, while Fabian can be pretty judgey, it's the jovial sort that makes him tease Riz before going right along with it anyway, which he's pretty sure is just your normal bro-style friendship. Not that Fabian looks very bro-y right now. He looks kind of emotional, actually? ]

Just... two bros living together. Having one, uh -- one big ol' sleepover. It'll be fun!

[ Yes? No? Give him something to work with here, Fabian. ]

[ Usually he'd be a little quicker to at least do something here, whether it's reassuring Riz or making fun of him in that friendly 'yeah it's totally fine with me' sort of way.

Right now-- not so much, unfortunately for Riz. Given Fabian's circumstances over the past few months, he sure has a whole lot to process as he's standing there and trying to take in the idea of it all. Just the thought by itself of not having to spend so much time on his own is a wild one, and he didn't quite expect it to be dropped into his lap like that. Forget the entire reason they're here in this place - it's not nearly as surprising as Riz's offer.

After a few slightly too long silent moments, Fabian quickly speaks up with: ]

W-- Well, yeah! Of course it'd be fun, The Ball, I'm involved in it!

[ Ah, yes. Fabian's brain's infamous plan in any situations where he doesn't know what to say or do: just default to praising himself to high heaven. ]

So I mean, I-- I guess that would be alright with me. [ .. He realises that actually sounds way more disinterested than intended, so he shakes his head and adds: ] No, it'd be-- fun! It'd be fun, and being by myself was just starting to get a little boring..

[ Understatement of the year. But Fabian would rather die than directly admit to anything about that entire situation. ]

Besides, someone's got to make sure you sleep at some point. You can't literally stay awake forever.

[ No, he is absolutely not rapidly trying to think up ten thousand excuses as to why they should do this, like he's trying to cover up how eager he feels about it, or how his heart is doing little leaps inside of his chest! Not at all!! ]

[ Fabian is being really weird.

Riz knows that he's not always the best at reading other people's social cues. While one teacher had delicately suggested to Sklonda that the trauma of losing his father had stunted him in that area, he knows that he'd been bat at it his entire life. Case in point: he had spent much of freshman year wholly buying into Fabian's haughty bluster, only to discover the truer depths of what lay underneath after -- well, after that wretched day. He knows Fabian a little better now.

Which is how he knows that Fabian's kind of full of it right now. Being in a place of his own and having a perpetual, Gilear-less party initially sounded like it would be Fabian's greatest dreams come to life, but Riz is quickly realizing that Fabian normally wouldn't be quite so gung-ho about a permanent sleepover with him of all people. (They are best friends. Fabian loves him a lot. Riz is also aware that he is, as a person, a Lot.)

He blinks three times at Fabian in rapid-fire, pupils narrowed, as though he can see right through him. Then he does the merciful thing and plays along. He grins. ]

I can for sure stay awake forever. Watch me.

[ Magnanimously: ] I'll even let you have the bigger bed. If you let me set up a clue board in the living room.

[ See, Riz? Do you know what the good thing is about you playing along with Fabian like this?

It's that Fabian doesn't realise in the slightest that his bestie here could possibly be on to him. Surely his attitude is always perfect. No one can see through it into Fabian's little tiny vulnerable heart. He clearly totally convinced Riz here.

Though Riz is right in the sense that he is - as a person - a lot. Somehow even more than Fabian, and that's saying something, considering Fabian's sheer presence seems like it's capable of taking up entire rooms all by itself. And Fabian even realises that living with Riz may be a little bit more than he's bargained for, even though it doesn't make him back down. At least it means having a friend around at all times. At least it means not being so terrifyingly alone.

Still, he is aware enough of Riz's.. Rizziness that he can't help but ask: ]

How big of a clue board are we talking?

[ It'd be far from Fabian to deny Riz his favourite hobby, but he may already be imagining their poor apartment being taken over by it.. ]

An average-sized clue board.

[ It's a complete bulshit answer, and Riz knows it. The clueboard in his room back home is pretty modest on account of the fact that his bedroom at Strongtower Luxury Apartments should barely even count as a bedroom, the clueboard at his office takes up practically an entire wall of the office, the Hangvan's clueboard shifts in size as it's dismantled and reestablished on a near daily basis, and the clueboard at Fabian's house --

Huh. Riz doesn't think that Fabian's found that one yet. He decides not to tell him about that one. That will remain a secret between him and the skull he's ignoring that he found in the corner. ]

We are trapped in a different plane without any people around or any way to communicate with the outside world. That sort of problem deserves an adequate clueboard. For peak detecting efficiency.

[ He lets out such a deep sigh. ]

.. alright, The Ball.

[ It's a good thing that Fabian has got a crippling abandonment complex at this point and would do pretty much anything as long as it meant he could keep one of his friends around and not have to be all by himself. Even if it means sacrificing personal space to a clue board of all things. ]

We can have an average-sized clue board in our apartment. Average-sized. You heard that part, right? Should I repeat it again just to make sure? [ No amount of repeating is going to save you from your fate, Fabian.

But you can believe. For now. See where this optimism and trust in Riz to not get wildly out of hand (a very, very bad assumption!!) leads you. It leads to you being locked out of your apartment in a few threads, that's where. ]

[ Riz does an outright fistpump, which is not something that Fabian should feel very good about at all. Give an inch, take a mile. (But, knowing Riz, he'd take a mile even if Fabian gave him nothing; he'll set up a clueboard any old place, and Fabian has been privy to even the most bizarre ones.) ]

Only in the living room. [ That's not saying average-sized. ] And if I use my room too, that's more than enough space! That can be an office-slash-living area. [ There is a moment where he almost tries to push for luck to see if he can get the bigger bedroom so he has more space to spread his notes out in, but comes to his senses just in time to magnanimously say: ] And you can get the bigger bedroom, of course. I think I saw a walk-in closet in there. You love a walk-in closet!

[ This clue board is definitely going to be bigger than that, isn't it. It's not like Fabian isn't at least a little wise to the way Riz is. Not even that he thinks the other is necessarily plotting a huge one in secret here or something - it's more that he's counting on Riz to surely get carried away at some point. That's kind of Riz's thing, after all, isn't it. Getting carried away. Especially when it comes to this sort of stuff.

But it's definitely one of those sacrifices Fabian is willing to make in order to not be alone right now. And Riz's last statement does seem like he's trying to meet Fabian in the middle.

.. maybe he should just make sure to meet any friends he might make here over at their apartments instead of in his and Riz's. Then he can live with it, right. ]

I need a walk-in closet! I need to look stylish!

[ Never mind the fact that Fabian has nothing but the clothes on his back right now. But surely there's a place here to get more clothes? Surely he could still contact his banker here. Maybe they have a branch office here too. ]

We're going to make so many first impressions here. No one probably even knows the Bad Kids! [ For once.

Though that might be a good thing, given that they mostly just cause a lot of death and property damage wherever they go. Even if they do save the world. ]

Any impression you make on someone right now is how they'll remember you forever!

[ Riz has no doubt that once they've gotten settled here for more than a night, Fabian will be busy filling up both his own closet and half of Riz's closet with various colourful, flamboyant clothes that he'll insist he needs. While Riz will fill his own with a series of unflattering but extremely professional suits mixed with a few casual outfits for bumming around the house in, in which Riz dresses either like a 45 year old businessman or a particularly unfashionable 12 year old boy. Still, he's counting this as a bribe given and a bribe received.

(Besides, if they stay here for longer than either of them would like -- Riz can be helpful enough that Fabian won't get sick of spending so much time with him. He knows how to do a load of laundry and wash the dishes and how to cook meals that will fill your gut even if it won't fulfil your soul. It's cool. He's good at being useful, when he's not having a multi-clue-board meltdown.) ]

Then it's a deal!

[ His chipperness quickly fades, however, as Fabian continues speaking. He just sort of slides down, like a marionette whose strings have been summarily cut. He groans. ]

Why would you say that? I think that's the single most horrifying thing I've ever heard. I had to sit through Gilear talking about sexual tension, and this is worse.

Oh, come on! [ It's not even an exasperated come on.

No, Fabian is practically laughing throughout this come on. Or getting close to it, anyway. His smile splits his face from ear to ear, and he moves a hand to give his friend a 'helpful' pat on the back.

Which is closer to a friendly jock slap, but.. still. ]

Aren't you looking forward to it? None of these people remember you from freshman year! You could do your best to become the coolest person ever from their point of view-- until they meet me, anyway! [ Sorry, bro.

He'll let you be second coolest though. ]

Oof!

[ That jock slap nearly took all the breath out of Riz's lungs -- though he's largely just playing along with it. He knows what makes his friends laugh. ]

We gotta start the benchmark a little lower than coolest person ever. And a little higher than being slam dunked into a trashcan, I guess. Besides, what kind of first impression would even inspire that kind of response? Enlighten me!

[ ... ]

Without it involving punching anyone.

[ Without hesitation: ]

I can think of some ways.

[ That don't involve punching, thanks!! He'll ignore that offensive statement! He can see what you're doing there and he doesn't like it, Riz! ]

.. some of them involve a motorcycle. [ Judging by the dumb grin that currently exists on Fabian's face, he is definitely already imagining all of it in his little mind palace.. ]

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