Etraya: Inbox

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

TEXT • VOICE • VIDEO • ACTION
USERNAME: HANK

Hank here. I probably don’t give a rat’s ass what you have to say. Leave me alone. How the hell do I get this damn thing to stop rec — [BEEP]

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[tinflower]

[ Gorgug shrugs, not embarrassed by his guess--if anything, he relaxes around the shoulders again, the tension that had been threatening to stick between his brows.

But he notices the way Hank's voice quietens, and he nods at him--for once, maybe understanding. ]

My friend had to get his bike from Aurora, too. He's not a fan, either. [ And he glances over at Sumo; or, specifically: ] --that's who the ball's for. His bike's a dog.

[ A beat. Hm. ] ...is that weird?

[ To just say? Or is it totally normal? ]

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Yes, that’s weird. What does that even mean? Bike in the shape of a dog?

[Is it a bicycle? A motorcycle? And why does it need a ball??

Sumo kicks out his back feet, in the meantime. Tongue lolling.

Lazy dog.]

Good to know some people aren’t fans. Weird that Aurora has fans.

[Except this isn’t true, and Hank knows it. Assuming Aurora is her own person — is she?

Hank just needs someone to blame. For everything.]

[tinflower]

She's good for getting dogs.

[ That's one thing, right? Gorgug's looking at Sumo, half-tempted to make the ball roll...

...but he won't. For now. ]

Do you feel better? [ Oh. ] I got your beer. Finally.

[ Get it. "Finally"! ]

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

Guess that’s one thing she’s good for.

[Hank says this with a little more tenderness than he means to. Because while he’s been directing his overall ire at Aurora, she did get him his dog.

A very cute, large dog who currently prefers laying on Gorgug’s ball-doohickey rather than actually playing with it.

And what would Hank be doing without his silly dog?]

I’m okay. [Which is a loaded response — who here is okay? — but hopefully Hank’s clarification helps somewhat:] Haven’t got wasted since Christmas, if you can believe it.

[Not that he’s abstaining from alcohol entirely, nor does he have any real desire to. It’s just something that’s happened, and maybe part of him thinks that doing the stupid missions and not being drunk will somehow give him what he wants, even if the thought is absurd.

It’s enough to get Hank to be good — for now — so he’ll cling to that.

And Hank does get Gorgug’s little joke: it even makes the corner of his lips twist in a smile. He wasn’t drunk enough at Heather’s party to forget everything.]

[tinflower]

[ Haven't got wasted since Christmas. Gorgug's eyes do that thing, like a visual oh--surprise, but a good sort, like he might've suspected otherwise. And considering how wasted--and how quickly--Hank got at the party, he is surprised. Wondered if he had a drinking problem, but also not caring enough for it to be his problem what the ails of an old guy are. But still, not exactly judging him much for it, either. ]

That's good. It'd be bad to get drunk too often if you wanna stick around, and do something. Probably. You wanted to stick around to save your world, right? Even if this place sucks.

[ Gorgug's remembering back on their conversation--that it wasn't the robot babys' fault if they were being used in weird missions, but also, that for as much everything sucked, he didn't want to get kicked out. Also, he knew a Connor? And Gorgug thinks the name is vaguely familiar, but he also can't say where.

Maybe it's from Hank himself. ]

[bootyshortsforoldmen]

No, I... [Hank furrows his brow.] Wasn’t saving my world I cared about.

I was whining — [even he can admit that’s what it was] — about not wanting to do whatever weird missions. And you said somethin’ about Aurora maybe sending me home if I kept up my bullshit.

[That, Hank remembers, is when his head really started swimming.]

You were right, I think. I kept up my bullshit — [nevermind the fact that Hank still hasn’t been on a mission, so it wasn’t a punishment for that] — and whoever-the-fuck took Connor. Zapped him away.

[Hank isn’t sure what he figures now, exactly. Be good and get Connor back? Sure, that’s the dream. But while part of Hank will always hope... he isn’t that stupid.

Connor isn’t coming back.]

Can’t say I wanna stick around, or do much of anything. But Connor isn’t here, so until he is, I guess I have a world to fight for now, y’know?

[Since Hank has Sumo here, too. Shifting around on Gorgug’s ball — perhaps finally realizing it isn’t as comfortable as he thought.]

[tinflower]

[ Gorgug's listening, and it's simple enough until-- Connor. Connor going, Hank says, and Gorgug realises the blame there, but also-- the main detail is big enough, isn't it. His face falls sympathetically, glancing away to Sumo when he shifts on the ball--sturdy, at the very least, but also very much metallic. ]

I'm sorry Connor's gone. [ But that's what he says when he looks back at Hank, looking down at the device in his hand, but doing nothing with it. ] I don't think-- whatever you did, it didn't take him away. I lost a friend from home too, but-- I've seen a lot of people go without a reason. And it's not great. When you don't know why they went.

[ Even if it might be better. Maybe? But there's people Gorgug still thinks about, even if it's Adaine he worries about the most. If she even is back in Elmville, or-- who knows where? ]

It really sucks, the answers we don't have.