etraya | un: Dankovsky

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un: Dankovsky | video

[Daniil posts live from a café near the museum. He has no patience for typing responses, and his own visage should explain why. His nose has recently been broken and reset. He looks exhausted and irritated, but he has a duty.]

I need a couple people to come down to the café near that absurd museum with the sewn up fruit exhibits. Bring a stretcher, we have a patient who could use some more urgent treatment.

[From somewhere offscreen, a voice that is distinctly not Daniil’s states:] This Etrayan shot me in an attempt to get information I did not possess. I would appreciate his removal from my presence.

Now- That’s not true at all. That is not the reason you were stopped. [Daniil now regrets making a video, but what’s done is done. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I’m smart and charming and I find it within myself to be outgoing. But more importantly, I try to help everyone I meet.

Don’t say anything about Castor. Ultimately I think this will be for his benefit as well. It just looks a little difficult from this angle right now.

Does it? Does it look a little difficult?

[ He's more amused than annoyed, but jesus christ. ]

It was difficult before this. Look at my face! It’s so swollen I can barely tell if my nose is set properly. I had to do it myself after an enforcer mashed it into the pavement. [He sighs.] It’s probably fine. I stopped the bleeding. I could feel worse. I promised Maya I’d go see a doctor. I’ll go bother that Polluxian one. Which- You’re not even from Etraya. Why does it seem like each bubble city only gets one doctor?

[He huffs. Certain patterns just continued to repeat, didn’t they.]

But at least now, we know where he is at all times. I am certain this will come in handy.

It looks set properly.

[ He agrees the doctor thing is insanely annoying. He really wishes there were more. ]

I'm gonna be honest, I don't give a shit about the whole drama with Castor. But to you think we can kidnap Abbott after it's all over?

I sure hope so, I did it myself.

Though that would be cruel, wouldn’t it? Taking the only doctor in this godforsaken place? Honestly, they should just evacuate Pollux. Scrape it off the map, start again. That AI must have been defunct from the start. Have you seen those apartments? It must be insane.

[He smiles and huffs into the mic.]

I always found you reasonable, Dr. Romano.

Edited 2026-06-02 02:32 (UTC)

I did see the apartments. It's pretty obvious we all lucked out with Aurora.

[ Every other AI has been useless. ]

Maybe we can talk her into taking in whoever wants out. And Abbott, whether he wants to or not.

[ That's his new security blanket. He wants to keep him. ]

I thought our bubble was full of slackers, to be perfectly honest. I really had no idea how good we had it. I suppose I might not do anything either between missions if they’re always like this.

I’m going to be honest with you as my friend and doctor, I’m going to be drunk for a week when we get back. Or else we’re going to need to double whatever you’re giving me. This cannot be good for any of us, psychologically speaking.

It absolutely isn't. We need therapists so badly, but there is no way I'm getting myself into that mess.

People can start their own support groups.

Anyway this shit is why I can't be too prickly about people sticking to their meds. Every day we're more or less normal is a victory.

I think I’d rather try to cure the plague all over again than be the therapist to a hundred traumatized adults with constant access to me.

[Daniil rubs his face. Ugh. It was all so awful.]

That sounds like a truly miserable experience. I think I’d rather repress this, if possible. It’s been working so far.

Oh yeah, I've done the sitting in a circle and talking about how sad I am. I don't recommend it.

[ It didn't help, though if he had to be honest about it, he didn't really give it a real try.

And then he died, and now he's so much better. So clearly group therapy is useless, being sent into a different universe is what helps. ]

Drugs and distractions it is, then.

[Daniil ventures out into the great wide shitty world again to try to make it back to the base. Why couldn’t he fly? He was tempted to whistle for Superman to save him the trouble.]

Circles of strangers sound awful. Some genuine friendship may actually help, though. Do you have a lot of friends in Etraya?

Depends on who you ask.

[ Cid would probably call him a friend. Robert would call Joss Sweden a friend, but only to annoy him.

Jayce is something like a friend? All in all, he's probably better liked in Etraya than he ever has been before, which is weird. ]

[That’s right. It’s almost like some mysterious person somewhere had sanded off his most poorly aged tv moments.]

Well, I’m asking you. I have my fair share of friends, though they’re all new, of course. It’s always difficult in the beginning, while getting to know others, I think. I’m not always the easiest person to get along with.

[ Sometimes there's a fun guy somewhere beyond the dismissed (but truthful) sexual harassment complaint! ]

[ Robert has to try very hard not to laugh at Daniil's last sentence. Like he didn't just shoot some guy for stonewalling him. ]

I don't know, Dankovsky, I think I'd need you to define "friend" first. Are we friends?

Are we not friends? We talk outside of work. We help each other out. We live and work near one another and work towards similar goals. Do you set the bar for friends very high, then?

[He’s already moved past shooting someone. That guy was barely someone. Its fine. ]

I don't think I have a bar for friendship at all. I'm having a little crisis about it, actually.

[ He doesn't sound like he's having a crisis, but he's thinking about it. Has he ever had friends? Maybe Lizzie. She'd tried to be, in any case. If he had to bet, he'd put money on her having been the only one to mourn him. ]

What are you talking about, Romano? No bar for friendship, so it’s just me you’re questioning? Have I really been so objectionable?

[He didn’t understand what Romano was on about at all. ]

No, I'm saying I don't think I had considered "friends" as a possible category for people I meet. I had patients, colleagues, students and hook-ups. I didn't have friends.

I had acquaintances, but half of the time I didn't even learn their names.

[ Someone could be two of those sometimes, but not often. Dankovsky is a colleague and a patient, though he would object to the latter. ]

Did you at least have friends in university?

[Daniil cannot believe Romano is worse off than he is.]

... maybe? I had... roommates and teammates and people I partied with.

[ Surely some of those were friends. ]

Would any of them remember you and greet you as a friend if you saw them now? Maybe that’s unfair, you’re quite a bit older than me. Say, ten years later, would you still have a drink with them?

Only if they wanted something.

[ It's an unkind assessment but it's true. Meanwhile Robert would never reach out because he doesn't like people. ]

Huh. I’m a regular social butterfly compared to you.

[Gears turning-]

Am I your only friend? Or do you know people and just refuse to call them friends?

The latter. Don't be so smug.

[ He has friends! Joss Sweden is a friend. ]

[Joss Sweden is not a friend.]

Ah, but friends are good things to have, Robert. You never know when you need one.

[He couldn’t not be smug. That’s a load bearing part of his personality.]

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