#( YESSS here we go babeyy!! time to force them to bond KRHF )

[beinfriends]

starter for @recklessinventor!

Claus bangs on Dr. Andonuts's door with his metal hand, the sound loud and harsh on the solid wooden door. He waits a second or two, and hearing no response, bangs his fist on the door again, louder than before. "Get up, jackass! We ain't got all day!" he calls into the apartment.

At the apartment next door, someone lifts the window and leans out. It's one of those Tazmily Rowing Club guys, Paddel... or Rowe, or whoever the fuck it was. Claus didn't make it his business to learn their names. His nasally voice grates on Claus's ears. "Shut the fuck up, asshole! Some of us are tryin' to sleep!"

"Fuck yerself, dickhead! Blame these asshole Andonuts, not me!"

"Can both of y'all please be quiet?" comes Abbot's voice from the bottom apartment, just below Dr. A's. His voice is more tired than angry. "Christ almighty..."

"Whatever." When Claus turns back to face the door, it suddenly opens, revealing Dr. Andonuts. "Oh, hey. Mornin', Dr. A."

Pushing past Dr. Andonuts, Claus enters the dimly lit apartment. Dr. Andonuts checks his pocket watch, then puts it back in his waistcoat pocket. "Getting an early start, are we?"

"It takes a long time ta get ta Saturn Valley, you know that," Claus replies. "I don't wanna waste most of a goddamn day on this, so gettin' an early start is the only option we got. Where's that motherfucker at, anyhow?"

"Oh, Claus, I apologize. Jeff did not stay with me last night." Claus stares, but Dr. Andonuts can only offer a shrug. "He felt more comfortable sticking closer to the Phase Distorter. Not a half-bad idea, admittedly. I'd assume he's still around there somewhere."

Groaning, Claus rubs his eye, then slides his hand down his face. "'Course that fuckin' asshole's gotta make it difficult. 'Course. I dunno what I expected."

Jeff clearly had no respect for Claus's time-- or for Claus in general. That much had been clear when they'd met yesterday, but this just proved it. It was almost like Jeff didn't even know that Claus was doing this for him. Claus was going out of his way to help Jeff despite everything. Yes, it was so Jeff could leave as quickly as possible, but still, it was help.

With the Phase Distorter broken down, Jeff was going to have to fix it, and Dr. Andonuts had suggested he seek out the Mr. Saturns, the original co-creators of the Phase Distorter, in order to achieve this. Problem is, Saturn Valley was clear on the other side of Nowhere. There's no way Jeff could get there on his own, no matter how many adventures he'd gone on in the past. He didn't know a thing about Nowhere, and with all the weird fauna and chimeras around, Claus didn't want to risk the idiot getting injured, extending his stay even further.

So, here he was, trying to help Jeff in order to get things moving at a quick pace. Nobody else would do it if he didn't... or, well, Lucas would, but Claus knew he wouldn't take this at the right pace either. Ultimately, then, it had to be him. Claus had told Jeff to be ready bright and early, but now he's not sure whether Jeff cared enough to prepare at all. After mumbling some vague goodbyes to Dr. Andonuts, Claus stepped out of the apartment and headed down the stairs towards the northern exit of town.

Claus retraces his steps from yesterday, down through Sunshine Forest to an obscure corner of it, where he first encountered Jeff. The Phase Distorter sits in a clearing, alone. He rolls his eye and comes up to the Phase Distorter, then kicks it with his boot.

"Up and at 'em, Andonuts! We ain't got all day! Time ta get goin'!" he shouts.