[ The nervous energy coming from Fabian is near palpable; as if it needs to be with the way it seeps into his voice, his body shifting under the chiding of the bot. Gorgug knows what it's like to be in this position, and he should feel sympathetic for his friend, except--
Except anger threatens to rise up in him, and his mild expression turns flat as it faces it to the companion bot. His voice dull in the droning way of an unimpressed teen, as he tells him flatly: ] You can go now.
[ The bot looks from Fabian to Gorgug, and while there's nothing to show in their face, no indication they were about to speak-- ] Bye.
[ That's not italics for the bot. It's for the emphasis of that bye, a tone of You should leave that's threatening. Fortunately, it's not one that seems to get Gorgug in trouble where, wordlessly, the companion bot leaves them by walking back the way it came.
...Not really appearing affected by Gorgug's cunty dismissal, but Gorgug feels pleased to see the back of them anyway, huffing, a glean flashing over his eyes like it does when he's in one of his rages.
Or just feeling particularly emboldened. Which has been happening a lot more in the last year. ]
[ Considering he was already looking at Gorgug to start with, Fabian sees every single part of the expression that crosses over his friend's face. It's not even anything he hasn't seen from Gorgug before - especially lately, with how busy he's been with school and with how done it has made him with everything that comes between him and that - but it's not really like it's ever been turned in this direction before. It's never really been for the sake of Fabian's defense.
He's never needed it, after all. Fabian has always made sure to never look like he'd need that sort of thing, but.. well, there's only so long he can keep that up when life knocks him this hard back down. It's just like after what happened on Leviathan. At some point he just can't keep it up anymore, but the last time he crumbled, Gorgug brought him oranges and small, gentle gestures.
This time he's bringing something more fierce.
.. Fabian doesn't mind. Something about it feels.. kind of nice, actually.
It's why he moves the baby a little until he's confidently holding it with the little baby head supported by the crook of his elbow, and only then uses his now-free other arm to put a gentle hand on top of Gorgug's arm.
If Gorgug looks at him, he'll see Fabian smiling. Thinly, nothing as wild as Fabian's smiles can sometimes get, but it's very genuine all the same. ]
Thanks. [ For that just now, but maybe just-- for everything. It doesn't even matter that Gorgug broke the arm in the first place. The problem still started because of Fabian being unable to handle this situation. ] It's easier because you're here.
[ Gorgug watches the robot leave with satisfaction in his stomach, a challenging desire in him (for them to look back, to maybe start a fight), and it hasn't left him completely when he turns his gaze back onto Fabian when he speaks. It's only starting to die down, but he reaches out and puts a hand on Fabian's arm with a certain need to protect, reassure, to do all of the above.
He squeezes without the threat of crushing him, has that practice over the years. ]
They're an asshole. [ He's smiling back, more sure and asserting--their places switched for once. ] You're gonna be a good dad.
[ That's all Gorgug knows, and all he cares about. All that matters: that Fabian knows. ]
[ For a moment they just sit there like that. It's nothing too long, just a brief moment of silence between the two of them, staring at each other and smiling. Gorgug's arm still on Fabian's arm.
Then he drops the gaze to look at the robot baby in the crook of his elbow. ]
Alright, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves yet.
[ About him being a good dad. At least it doesn't sound like Fabian is fully dismissing the compliment, more just-- More just that fully embracing it is still a step too far for him too. ]
I'm going to do my best. It's just-- I guess I am going to have to learn a whole lot about how to take care of the baby.
[ Gorgug hums, like a small chuckle that he doesn't bother to open his mouth for. Fabian might deny the possibility of his good fatherhood, but Gorgug trusts in it. Would like to be the one for the both of them, though Fabian looks brighter than he has for a while--since Gorgug saw him scrambling around on the street with the baby in tow. ]
Not alone, [ Gorgug reminds him. ...though he looks at his own hands, thinking about how he'll need to be better about handling a robot baby.
He won't say that, but instead, a note sheepish: ] ...I'll come back and clean up the kitchen? I think I, uh. Left a mess.
[ A 'pulled off the wood that the pots and pans hang off from' kind of mess, but you know. It doesn't sound so bad when you don't clarify!! ]
And to Fabian's credit, he does look a little bit awkward as he says it. Under other circumstances he might have used it to lightly tease his friend, but considering how sweet Gorgug has been to him here? He wants to be a little bit more gentle about it. Treat his friend's feelings like something a little more fragile than the usual.
Especially when he remembers Gorgug screaming while swinging about a frying pan. Not exactly the sort of thing Fabian wants to repeat. ]
I think you put a dent in the wall. [ See how carefully he's pointing that out? Bro!!! He's trying to think of your feelings, bro!!!
But you did kind of smash that pan against his wall! ]
...I did? [ Guess who isn't remembering. Guess who only has room for 1 accident in his brain right now--that's right, it's Gorgug, baby. He looks confused as he tries to recall, his weapon of choice in this brain scenario some kind of body part than the frying pan he got convinced to leave back in Fabian's cop car (surely. unless it's right there on one of the seats beside them).
So that isn't helping with Gorgug's memory. But it's fine, since if he put a dent in a wall... ] I'll fix it up-- I'll plaster it. [ ... ] I'll look for plaster.
[ At the very least. Or he can just magic-patch it up, but look, that's a problem for future Gorgug to figure out. But does this sound okay to you, bro??? Is there any other dents he forgot. ]
[ Thankfully Fabian honestly doesn't seem that bothered by the fact that Gorgug left a dent in the wall. There's been bigger disasters going on here, after all. It's more just that he wanted to make sure his friend knew before going into the house and spotting the dent and getting all worked up again..
The goal is to take better care of the baby and better care of Gorgug. By not allowing the other to work himself up into desperate rage crying again.
.. and maybe take a little bit better care of himself too. Maybe.
It's what Gorgug would want, surely. ]
It's okay. I imagine we will have a lot to clean up either way. [ Let's be real - Fabian's house had been a total mess even before Gorgug decided to play impromptu interior designer there. ] .. you really don't mind helping? It's going to be a lot of work.
[ It's a joke, though not without ground, a smile that's a little sheepish from his earlier realisation about walls and dents (and all other manners of messes that Gorgug's left). But he thinks this isn't just about the work involving the baby, unless he's mistaken--but he's standing up regardless, smiling at his friend with less embarrassed and more sincerity. ]
Remember? Spring Break. You've got it. [ He nods, both at Fabian and himself, as he adds the most encouraging motivator of all: ] And we can have all the ice cream we want while we do it. We don't even have to leave town-- we can't. We've faced bigger challenges than this.
Like my homework. All my homework.
[ ...sorry, it's coming back to schoolwork. Nevermind their previous adventures, actually.... ]
[ That's Fabian's thought exactly, really. As he's standing up to follow Gorgug while holding his little baby bundle close to him to make sure nothing can happen to it again - he does not want to know what the bots would tell him if that were to happen twice in a row - he can't help but think about Gorgug's words.
Sure, he kind of gets it, since it's clear Gorgug got a much worse multiclassing deal at school than Fabian did, but.. ]
You really think that's the worst thing you've ever dealt with? [ There's still a hint of scepticism in Fabian's tone. Nothing too strong, but it is there. ] Worse than anything we've actually fought?
[ He would be more specific. He would point out the worst experience they've had as a group - he's pretty sure that's the Nightmare Forest, or even the time Gorgug and Kristen actually died on their first day of school - but it's not like he actively wants to remember his friend of some miserable stuff when Gorgug is just doing his best to help him.
So keeping it vague is probably safer. Let Gorgug's mind linger on homework, sure. ]
[ Listen to those physically dangerous situations that Fabian is bringing up, even if he's generalising. ]
Getting stabbed's easy-- we're always getting stabbed. I don't have to read any books to get stabbed, I just have to swing around an axe and hit things.
[ And listen to Gorgug's near whine of a reply, and how nothing the threat of violence sounds coming from Gorgug. He doesn't even care. Why would they care at this point? Whatever, so their lives as they knew them nearly ended twice and there were a bunch of deaths.
So what!!! ]
Do you get homework? [ There's definitely emphasis on that get. Fabian, with his fighter classes and bard dances. What's even homework when you're Fabian? Can he truly understand the suffering? ] Do you have to read books?
[ Maybe you can see now why Fabian doesn't think school work is worse than anything they do when they go out there and fight, Gorgug. Not that Fabian really minds fighting, he thinks it's fun, it's just-- a whole lot more traumatizing stuff happens out there than in any of his classrooms! ]
I mean, we sometimes do? But most of the time in fighter class we are just practicing through sparring, and in bard class we just-- well, we dance. I get homework sometimes for fighter class, but Miss Skullcleaver doesn't believe in homework. She says dance is always in the present. [ Must be nice to have like.. a normal teacher, huh. Gorgug. A chill teacher. Just imagine. ]
[ Must be nice. Gorgug isn't above feeling jealousy, even if it's been dulled be factors. (We guess like walking through a hallway with the guy and his robot baby he just had a breakdown about today.)
It's a brief feeling, though. ]
I had all the homework and studying I had to do because of artificing and the MCAT thing, but, barbarian classes-- I didn't have homework, but Porter was being a hardass. He really wanted me to dig into my anger better for my rage, so I was trying to find time to do that too. To get mad the way he wanted me to.
But honestly, after school and bloodrush practices, I just wanted to sleep.
[ He was pissed off, but finding time for it amongst all that work was hard. It's not a situation he has to deal with now (even if he was back in Spyre), but, man. Man! ]
It's the sort of sound that makes him sound much more like himself than anything else he's said ever since they entered the hospital. Like talking about normal things and not having gotten into too much trouble is giving him some of his usual spirit back, even if he's not quite his usual self just yet. ]
Well, that is because Porter is an asshole.
[ You're totally allowed to call your friends' teachers assholes, okay. Fabian would let his friends call his teachers assholes if they earned it - but fortunately he thinks they are both rather cool in their own way. ]
I can't see any other reason why he would have treated you the way he did. [ Okay, fine, Fig would see another reason. But she truly seems like some unhinged conspiracy theorist about this thing half of the time. ]
[ Gorgug sighs, flapping his arms a little at his sides. There's no disagreement about Porter here (and hey, he's heard it and even said it enough!), but with things where they are now... ]
It's over now. [ Is Gorgug willing to give him a pass now because it's over? You bet!!! ] I mean, I guess it really is over, since we're here and not at school... but I showed him what he wanted to see, and he's willing to give me a chance now. That's all I needed. And I'll show it was the right choice when we see everyone again. I wanna keep it up.
[ Not that Gorgug's been shy about wanting to continue his studies, especially his artificer learning. Maybe to a ridiculous amount to the others, but-- it's a lot of work! And there's a lot of down time in (and out, apparently) Etraya! ]
I don't mind trying a different approach to my rage. I can give it a go.
[ He truly is giving Porter more grace than he deserves...... ]
[ Gorgug is giving Porter more grace than he deserves, Fabian thinks.
Sure, he may not really have personal experience with the guy, and he's fully well aware that Fig likely exaggerates her stories about him. But he also knows just how stressed out the guy made Gorgug seem all the time, and that's frankly pretty unforgiveable in Fabian's eyes. So what if he doesn't give a guy a fair shot - maybe he should first consider not being a jerk to Fabian's friends?? ]
But that doesn't make the way he treated you a good thing. [ Just saying, bro!! Not that Fabian can comment on the rage thing much, considering it's not like it's something he's ever had to deal with on a personal level.. But he can speak about this, at least, shifting the little baby bundle in his arms very carefully as they walk. ] You know that, right?
I know. [ There's no doubt or hesitance in his voice that usually makes itself well and clear if Gorgug even has a pinch of either in him, and the look he gives Fabian when he turns his face to him should surely help prove himself. ] He was an asshole. And, he was really difficult about it. Fig was really trying to help me get my MCAT signed all the time, and it was like-- a wall.
I just have to meet him at his... level? Give him what he wants. [ To a degree. But Gorgug's looking ahead now, the doors to the way out not that far, and considers thoughtfully: ] I think we can both get a good lesson out of it, if I show him, if he just gives people a chance-- and I can get a lesson out of it, too. Dealing with people like him.
[ He truly is looking at the bright side of this! Or attempting. And what if there could be a good lesson for the both of them? Especially with Porter being a teacher who might one day teach another barbarian with interests he might not entirely agree with...
Gorgug walks over to the door to push open, holding it briefly for Fabian to step through (since he has the child!). ]
I'm still working on that here, too. You know-- talking to people.
[ Remember, Fabian? That wonderful conversation about Gorgug gathering information from strangers that they talked about on the ship?? He's still practising!!! ]
[ .. well, Fabian would say there's a difference between talking to assholes and talking to regular people. And that you should pick your battles, and decide what you are and aren't going to waste your energy on..
But Gorgug sounds so earnest about all of this that Fabian has a hard time picking it apart, really. He'd just feel terrible if he tried. Especially when Gorgug has gone out of his way to help him with this entire baby situation. (Yes, technically Gorgug did make it worse somewhere in the middle, but-- the rest of this probably cancels out the whole arm ripping thing.
Probably.)
So rather than pointing any of that out, Fabian just opens his mouth to say: ]
That's good.
[ Hey, it is good, isn't it? If they're going to have to deal with all these people from all sorts of worlds in this place, it's better for Gorgug if he can actually talk to them. ]
I got to know one of my dads... [ There's that... ] And I got you and Riz and Adaine those bracelet beads...
[ What else....who else...
There's a delay before he speaks again, trying to sound confident, as: ] And I've spoken to different people, so, yeah. It's going okay.
[ Nevermind the huge struggle to think there, like Gorgug's brain shut off and had to be rebooted. It's okay if Gorgug doesn't have to give any details, right? Was he supposed to be doing something particular when he spoke to people anyway? ]
It's tempting to say something here about maybe the end result not being as great as Gorgug is imagining it, but.. well, see all of the above. Not to mention that Fabian doesn't want to discourage Gorgug when he knows the other is working on this in his.. own little Gorgug way.
Besides, maybe it's not that the social interactions themselves have been awkward. Maybe it's just that Gorgug trying to relay how they went is just the thing that's happening awkwardly. Fabian would believe it.
So rather than touching any of that, he decides to go for what feels like a safer question. ]
What is that father you've gotten to know like? [ Look, if they can make Fabian a dad, then they can clearly be making anyone a father up in here!! ]
[ What is the dad like? Gorgug's trying to think about it, and the small interaction he's had with the guy... ]
He's...okay. He mowed a lawn, [ wow, ] and I thought he was gonna start bullying me, but he told me he wasn't. [ Amazing. ] He's taller than me. And... he likes his jacket.
[ Most of this doesn't necessarily cover what he's like, but Gorgug ends up distracting himself momentarily from that point before he manages to swing back around. ]
He said he'd help me learn about spaceships too. That's cool. [ He looks at Fabian then, glancing at the baby bundle in his arms. ] He doesn't know about them, but I said about... I was trying to take another friend's advice about working with them, so I got talking about missions, and about how I wanna go back on that spaceship to fix it.
He said he'd ask if anyone knows anything about them.
[ So, a pretty cool dude! Imagine humouring Gorgug and his interests... ]
[ It's maybe kind of an underwhelming answer, but-- let's be real, it's not like Fabian knows what else to say to all of that. He's inclined to compare any and all fathers to his own, after all, and in Fabian's mind no one could ever live up to Bill Seacaster, naturally.
Still, he doesn't want to dunk on Gorgug's relationship with his fake dad. Maybe it's good for his friend, you know? Making new friends through.. being forced to be family..
Look, sometimes it requires unconventional methods, you know. ]
That doesn't sound so bad. [ Maybe not the most excited Fabian approval, but it is approval!! You know Fabian would absolutely not hesitate to complain! ] You're really sure he wasn't bullying you though?
[ Says the guy who punched Gorgug on the first day of school and gloated about it. ]
[ Bro, bro... what's wrong with connecting to his fake dad about spaceships. :(
Just to instead make him re-question himself about if he was being bullied. He's thinking about it, since--Sam seemed to find it weird that Gorgug would think that, but now Fabian's questioning his judgment, so maybe it wasn't weird for Gorgug to think it in the first place? That might be validating, if not for now making Gorgug reconsider things. ]
Do you think he was? [ --He didn't describe why he thought he was getting bullied, did he? But now Gorgug stops, doing so in front of Fabian to make him stop too. ] He started doing this, as we were talking...
[ And Gorgug leans an arm draped over one of Fabian's shoulders, using him as a weight. This also matches too, actually: they have a similar height difference to one another as he and Sam do, meaning that Gorgug's still looking slightly down at his friend. ]
And we never talked much, so I thought, he's trying to intimidate me, right? Is this intimidating?
[ Let him even cross his legs slightly, put his other hand in his hoodie pocket like he's going full tough guy speaking down to the little guy...!! ]
[ For what it's worth, Fabian does let Gorgug do this entire thing. The most he does is shift the baby he's holding out of the way a little, just to prevent another accidental disaster..
But he is quiet. Like he needs just a second to think about this. Even if the conclusion Fabian seems to arrive at is a solid: ]
I don't know? I'm fairly sure Ragh has done this to me before. [ Maybe Fabian is so unfazed by it because about 75% of people he knows are either ridiculously smaller or taller than him. It's what happens when you have a now-giant-demon-papa and half-orc bros on your sports team, and then a very tiny bestie and very tiny babysitter-slash-maid.. It kind of skews your perception of height and what it does to certain gestures. ] Has he never done that to you?
[ Fabian may be temporarily forgetting that it wouldn't mean much either way since they're practically the same size, unlike him!! Maybe the problem is just that Gorgug isn't used to encountering people taller than him.. ]
Yeah. [ Come on, Fabian, of course Ragh has! It's Ragh! ] But Ragh's a friend. Did Ragh do this the first time you talked with him?
[ Gorgug shuffles, and then...he grows a few inches. Re-adjusting the arm restlessly uselessly over Fabian's shoulder, when it doesn't need adjusting at all, but he's doing all this (yes, he is getting on his tippy toes) as he says-- ] Look-- think about it. You're meeting me for the first day. I'm talking to you like this--
[ Also, he's inching in closer. He is asserting Dominance. Did Sam actually do this? Do you think he remembers? He's trying to appear taller! ]
You don't think it's intimidating? You're not intimidated?
[ Does he need to come in closer, bro? Bro??? He will!!! ]
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Except anger threatens to rise up in him, and his mild expression turns flat as it faces it to the companion bot. His voice dull in the droning way of an unimpressed teen, as he tells him flatly: ] You can go now.
[ The bot looks from Fabian to Gorgug, and while there's nothing to show in their face, no indication they were about to speak-- ] Bye.
[ That's not italics for the bot. It's for the emphasis of that bye, a tone of You should leave that's threatening. Fortunately, it's not one that seems to get Gorgug in trouble where, wordlessly, the companion bot leaves them by walking back the way it came.
...Not really appearing affected by Gorgug's cunty dismissal, but Gorgug feels pleased to see the back of them anyway, huffing, a glean flashing over his eyes like it does when he's in one of his rages.
Or just feeling particularly emboldened. Which has been happening a lot more in the last year. ]
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He's never needed it, after all. Fabian has always made sure to never look like he'd need that sort of thing, but.. well, there's only so long he can keep that up when life knocks him this hard back down. It's just like after what happened on Leviathan. At some point he just can't keep it up anymore, but the last time he crumbled, Gorgug brought him oranges and small, gentle gestures.
This time he's bringing something more fierce.
.. Fabian doesn't mind. Something about it feels.. kind of nice, actually.
It's why he moves the baby a little until he's confidently holding it with the little baby head supported by the crook of his elbow, and only then uses his now-free other arm to put a gentle hand on top of Gorgug's arm.
If Gorgug looks at him, he'll see Fabian smiling. Thinly, nothing as wild as Fabian's smiles can sometimes get, but it's very genuine all the same. ]
Thanks. [ For that just now, but maybe just-- for everything. It doesn't even matter that Gorgug broke the arm in the first place. The problem still started because of Fabian being unable to handle this situation. ] It's easier because you're here.
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He squeezes without the threat of crushing him, has that practice over the years. ]
They're an asshole. [ He's smiling back, more sure and asserting--their places switched for once. ] You're gonna be a good dad.
[ That's all Gorgug knows, and all he cares about. All that matters: that Fabian knows. ]
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Then he drops the gaze to look at the robot baby in the crook of his elbow. ]
Alright, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves yet.
[ About him being a good dad. At least it doesn't sound like Fabian is fully dismissing the compliment, more just-- More just that fully embracing it is still a step too far for him too. ]
I'm going to do my best. It's just-- I guess I am going to have to learn a whole lot about how to take care of the baby.
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Not alone, [ Gorgug reminds him. ...though he looks at his own hands, thinking about how he'll need to be better about handling a robot baby.
He won't say that, but instead, a note sheepish: ] ...I'll come back and clean up the kitchen? I think I, uh. Left a mess.
[ A 'pulled off the wood that the pots and pans hang off from' kind of mess, but you know. It doesn't sound so bad when you don't clarify!! ]
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And to Fabian's credit, he does look a little bit awkward as he says it. Under other circumstances he might have used it to lightly tease his friend, but considering how sweet Gorgug has been to him here? He wants to be a little bit more gentle about it. Treat his friend's feelings like something a little more fragile than the usual.
Especially when he remembers Gorgug screaming while swinging about a frying pan. Not exactly the sort of thing Fabian wants to repeat. ]
I think you put a dent in the wall. [ See how carefully he's pointing that out? Bro!!! He's trying to think of your feelings, bro!!!
But you did kind of smash that pan against his wall! ]
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So that isn't helping with Gorgug's memory. But it's fine, since if he put a dent in a wall... ] I'll fix it up-- I'll plaster it. [ ... ] I'll look for plaster.
[ At the very least. Or he can just magic-patch it up, but look, that's a problem for future Gorgug to figure out. But does this sound okay to you, bro??? Is there any other dents he forgot. ]
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The goal is to take better care of the baby and better care of Gorgug. By not allowing the other to work himself up into desperate rage crying again.
.. and maybe take a little bit better care of himself too. Maybe.
It's what Gorgug would want, surely. ]
It's okay. I imagine we will have a lot to clean up either way. [ Let's be real - Fabian's house had been a total mess even before Gorgug decided to play impromptu interior designer there. ] .. you really don't mind helping? It's going to be a lot of work.
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[ It's a joke, though not without ground, a smile that's a little sheepish from his earlier realisation about walls and dents (and all other manners of messes that Gorgug's left). But he thinks this isn't just about the work involving the baby, unless he's mistaken--but he's standing up regardless, smiling at his friend with less embarrassed and more sincerity. ]
Remember? Spring Break. You've got it. [ He nods, both at Fabian and himself, as he adds the most encouraging motivator of all: ] And we can have all the ice cream we want while we do it. We don't even have to leave town-- we can't. We've faced bigger challenges than this.
Like my homework. All my homework.
[ ...sorry, it's coming back to schoolwork. Nevermind their previous adventures, actually.... ]
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Sure, he kind of gets it, since it's clear Gorgug got a much worse multiclassing deal at school than Fabian did, but.. ]
You really think that's the worst thing you've ever dealt with? [ There's still a hint of scepticism in Fabian's tone. Nothing too strong, but it is there. ] Worse than anything we've actually fought?
[ He would be more specific. He would point out the worst experience they've had as a group - he's pretty sure that's the Nightmare Forest, or even the time Gorgug and Kristen actually died on their first day of school - but it's not like he actively wants to remember his friend of some miserable stuff when Gorgug is just doing his best to help him.
So keeping it vague is probably safer. Let Gorgug's mind linger on homework, sure. ]
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Getting stabbed's easy-- we're always getting stabbed. I don't have to read any books to get stabbed, I just have to swing around an axe and hit things.
[ And listen to Gorgug's near whine of a reply, and how nothing the threat of violence sounds coming from Gorgug. He doesn't even care. Why would they care at this point? Whatever, so their lives as they knew them nearly ended twice and there were a bunch of deaths.
So what!!! ]
Do you get homework? [ There's definitely emphasis on that get. Fabian, with his fighter classes and bard dances. What's even homework when you're Fabian? Can he truly understand the suffering? ] Do you have to read books?
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[ Maybe you can see now why Fabian doesn't think school work is worse than anything they do when they go out there and fight, Gorgug. Not that Fabian really minds fighting, he thinks it's fun, it's just-- a whole lot more traumatizing stuff happens out there than in any of his classrooms! ]
I mean, we sometimes do? But most of the time in fighter class we are just practicing through sparring, and in bard class we just-- well, we dance. I get homework sometimes for fighter class, but Miss Skullcleaver doesn't believe in homework. She says dance is always in the present. [ Must be nice to have like.. a normal teacher, huh. Gorgug. A chill teacher. Just imagine. ]
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It's a brief feeling, though. ]
I had all the homework and studying I had to do because of artificing and the MCAT thing, but, barbarian classes-- I didn't have homework, but Porter was being a hardass. He really wanted me to dig into my anger better for my rage, so I was trying to find time to do that too. To get mad the way he wanted me to.
But honestly, after school and bloodrush practices, I just wanted to sleep.
[ He was pissed off, but finding time for it amongst all that work was hard. It's not a situation he has to deal with now (even if he was back in Spyre), but, man. Man! ]
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It's the sort of sound that makes him sound much more like himself than anything else he's said ever since they entered the hospital. Like talking about normal things and not having gotten into too much trouble is giving him some of his usual spirit back, even if he's not quite his usual self just yet. ]
Well, that is because Porter is an asshole.
[ You're totally allowed to call your friends' teachers assholes, okay. Fabian would let his friends call his teachers assholes if they earned it - but fortunately he thinks they are both rather cool in their own way. ]
I can't see any other reason why he would have treated you the way he did. [ Okay, fine, Fig would see another reason. But she truly seems like some unhinged conspiracy theorist about this thing half of the time. ]
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It's over now. [ Is Gorgug willing to give him a pass now because it's over? You bet!!! ] I mean, I guess it really is over, since we're here and not at school... but I showed him what he wanted to see, and he's willing to give me a chance now. That's all I needed. And I'll show it was the right choice when we see everyone again. I wanna keep it up.
[ Not that Gorgug's been shy about wanting to continue his studies, especially his artificer learning. Maybe to a ridiculous amount to the others, but-- it's a lot of work! And there's a lot of down time in (and out, apparently) Etraya! ]
I don't mind trying a different approach to my rage. I can give it a go.
[ He truly is giving Porter more grace than he deserves...... ]
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Sure, he may not really have personal experience with the guy, and he's fully well aware that Fig likely exaggerates her stories about him. But he also knows just how stressed out the guy made Gorgug seem all the time, and that's frankly pretty unforgiveable in Fabian's eyes. So what if he doesn't give a guy a fair shot - maybe he should first consider not being a jerk to Fabian's friends?? ]
But that doesn't make the way he treated you a good thing. [ Just saying, bro!! Not that Fabian can comment on the rage thing much, considering it's not like it's something he's ever had to deal with on a personal level.. But he can speak about this, at least, shifting the little baby bundle in his arms very carefully as they walk. ] You know that, right?
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I just have to meet him at his... level? Give him what he wants. [ To a degree. But Gorgug's looking ahead now, the doors to the way out not that far, and considers thoughtfully: ] I think we can both get a good lesson out of it, if I show him, if he just gives people a chance-- and I can get a lesson out of it, too. Dealing with people like him.
[ He truly is looking at the bright side of this! Or attempting. And what if there could be a good lesson for the both of them? Especially with Porter being a teacher who might one day teach another barbarian with interests he might not entirely agree with...
Gorgug walks over to the door to push open, holding it briefly for Fabian to step through (since he has the child!). ]
I'm still working on that here, too. You know-- talking to people.
[ Remember, Fabian? That wonderful conversation about Gorgug gathering information from strangers that they talked about on the ship?? He's still practising!!! ]
I bet it'll help.
[ He's aiming for...optimism...! ]
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But Gorgug sounds so earnest about all of this that Fabian has a hard time picking it apart, really. He'd just feel terrible if he tried. Especially when Gorgug has gone out of his way to help him with this entire baby situation. (Yes, technically Gorgug did make it worse somewhere in the middle, but-- the rest of this probably cancels out the whole arm ripping thing.
Probably.)
So rather than pointing any of that out, Fabian just opens his mouth to say: ]
That's good.
[ Hey, it is good, isn't it? If they're going to have to deal with all these people from all sorts of worlds in this place, it's better for Gorgug if he can actually talk to them. ]
How's that going so far?
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I got to know one of my dads... [ There's that... ] And I got you and Riz and Adaine those bracelet beads...
[ What else....who else...
There's a delay before he speaks again, trying to sound confident, as: ] And I've spoken to different people, so, yeah. It's going okay.
[ Nevermind the huge struggle to think there, like Gorgug's brain shut off and had to be rebooted. It's okay if Gorgug doesn't have to give any details, right? Was he supposed to be doing something particular when he spoke to people anyway? ]
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...
It's tempting to say something here about maybe the end result not being as great as Gorgug is imagining it, but.. well, see all of the above. Not to mention that Fabian doesn't want to discourage Gorgug when he knows the other is working on this in his.. own little Gorgug way.
Besides, maybe it's not that the social interactions themselves have been awkward. Maybe it's just that Gorgug trying to relay how they went is just the thing that's happening awkwardly. Fabian would believe it.
So rather than touching any of that, he decides to go for what feels like a safer question. ]
What is that father you've gotten to know like? [ Look, if they can make Fabian a dad, then they can clearly be making anyone a father up in here!! ]
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He's...okay. He mowed a lawn, [ wow, ] and I thought he was gonna start bullying me, but he told me he wasn't. [ Amazing. ] He's taller than me. And... he likes his jacket.
[ Most of this doesn't necessarily cover what he's like, but Gorgug ends up distracting himself momentarily from that point before he manages to swing back around. ]
He said he'd help me learn about spaceships too. That's cool. [ He looks at Fabian then, glancing at the baby bundle in his arms. ] He doesn't know about them, but I said about... I was trying to take another friend's advice about working with them, so I got talking about missions, and about how I wanna go back on that spaceship to fix it.
He said he'd ask if anyone knows anything about them.
[ So, a pretty cool dude! Imagine humouring Gorgug and his interests... ]
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[ It's maybe kind of an underwhelming answer, but-- let's be real, it's not like Fabian knows what else to say to all of that. He's inclined to compare any and all fathers to his own, after all, and in Fabian's mind no one could ever live up to Bill Seacaster, naturally.
Still, he doesn't want to dunk on Gorgug's relationship with his fake dad. Maybe it's good for his friend, you know? Making new friends through.. being forced to be family..
Look, sometimes it requires unconventional methods, you know. ]
That doesn't sound so bad. [ Maybe not the most excited Fabian approval, but it is approval!! You know Fabian would absolutely not hesitate to complain! ] You're really sure he wasn't bullying you though?
[ Says the guy who punched Gorgug on the first day of school and gloated about it. ]
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Just to instead make him re-question himself about if he was being bullied. He's thinking about it, since--Sam seemed to find it weird that Gorgug would think that, but now Fabian's questioning his judgment, so maybe it wasn't weird for Gorgug to think it in the first place? That might be validating, if not for now making Gorgug reconsider things. ]
Do you think he was? [ --He didn't describe why he thought he was getting bullied, did he? But now Gorgug stops, doing so in front of Fabian to make him stop too. ] He started doing this, as we were talking...
[ And Gorgug leans an arm draped over one of Fabian's shoulders, using him as a weight. This also matches too, actually: they have a similar height difference to one another as he and Sam do, meaning that Gorgug's still looking slightly down at his friend. ]
And we never talked much, so I thought, he's trying to intimidate me, right? Is this intimidating?
[ Let him even cross his legs slightly, put his other hand in his hoodie pocket like he's going full tough guy speaking down to the little guy...!! ]
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But he is quiet. Like he needs just a second to think about this. Even if the conclusion Fabian seems to arrive at is a solid: ]
I don't know? I'm fairly sure Ragh has done this to me before. [ Maybe Fabian is so unfazed by it because about 75% of people he knows are either ridiculously smaller or taller than him. It's what happens when you have a now-giant-demon-papa and half-orc bros on your sports team, and then a very tiny bestie and very tiny babysitter-slash-maid.. It kind of skews your perception of height and what it does to certain gestures. ] Has he never done that to you?
[ Fabian may be temporarily forgetting that it wouldn't mean much either way since they're practically the same size, unlike him!! Maybe the problem is just that Gorgug isn't used to encountering people taller than him.. ]
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[ Gorgug shuffles, and then...he grows a few inches. Re-adjusting the arm restlessly uselessly over Fabian's shoulder, when it doesn't need adjusting at all, but he's doing all this (yes, he is getting on his tippy toes) as he says-- ] Look-- think about it. You're meeting me for the first day. I'm talking to you like this--
[ Also, he's inching in closer. He is asserting Dominance. Did Sam actually do this? Do you think he remembers? He's trying to appear taller! ]
You don't think it's intimidating? You're not intimidated?
[ Does he need to come in closer, bro? Bro??? He will!!! ]
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