[ Honestly, there's a part of Fabian that wants to do the opposite and escalate this even further - especially with the past few months he's had. It's not even like it'd be the first robot he'd fight in this place. Far from it.

.. but he also remembers how much trouble it got him into last time around, and-- he realizes it's probably better to not do that, unless he wants to freak out all his friends and this new person. So de-escalation it is, even if it's the last thing Fabian wants to do right now.

He refuses to de-escalate by actually talking to the robots though. Instead he latches onto Vax's wrist, trying to pull him along in a different direction, away from the bots trying to give him candy. ]

Here! This way, man, you can't reason with them any other way! You just have to get out of there!

[ Fabian does glance over his shoulder. He knows the bots aren't likely to follow them out here, but he really doesn't trust this place all that much, and he doesn't even know what specifically the bots were harassing the new people about this time around..

So he looks, and it does seem like they're out of the harassment zone for now.

It causes the teenager to let out a loud sigh. ]

Good. [ He immediately releases the other's wrist, moving his hands up so he can rub at his face for a moment. ]

Sorry that you had to endure that right away. This place apparently has absolutely no idea of how to organize an appropriate way of greeting new people. [ His volume lowers a little, mostly to grumble: ] If such a way exists at all.

[ Because taking people from other worlds to this place feels like a pretty annoying premise to Fabian just in general. ]

I'm Fabian.

[ He does at least seem friendly enough towards other people - despite his obvious displease with this place - that he offers the other a hand to shake.

Though he'll at least move on to the actually useful information while he does so. ]

And I do know a lot about things here. I've been here for some months already, and I've seen some stuff. [ Not stuffd that's too great, judging by the eyeroll that happens right as he says those words. ] Did you get the whole spiel from the beings in charge while you were in there? You know, before all the companion bots started harassing you.

[ What he has to say does depend on that, if not at least a little bit. ]

Yes.

[ No comment on the horseshit, apparently. Either Fabian is of the same opinion as Vax, or he just doesn't really mind the other thinking that it's a load of nonsense. ]

It seemed not too strange to me when I first showed up here. [ He explains after a brief moment, gesturing with his hands as he speaks - like he thinks that might make it more clear, especially when these are surely a lot of Big Thoughts for someone who's still so new here, not adjusted to this place. ] But as time passed and I kept on seeing what this place was doing to us, I grew more and more skeptical. This place does not seem to be testing us for the sake of our worlds at all.

[ He shakes his face, his expression darkening as he frowns. ]

If anything, it seems like it only intends to torture us. To put us through unpleasant things for very little reason. I have even heard talk a few months ago that they are making the inhabitants of other cities like this one fight each other.

[ Fabian exhales a breath that sounds more like a sigh. ]

That's exactly what I'm thinking. Way too many people are going along with what they're being told because of it. [ Granted, he hasn't heard anyone use it as a reason out loud - but Fabian has to imagine that's the reason they're so okay with everything going on here.

Why else would anyone be?

When he turns to look back at Vax, there's sympathy in his eye. ]

Sorry to tell you that you're all caught up in it too now. [ Not like it's Fabian's fault, but he knows how shitty it is. And Vax seems like the type who also knows that. ] I know it's terrible news.