The call rang out for a while, the group worrying if it was ever going to connect. To their surprise, however, Noodle’s little icon - his mousey fursona - appeared, blinking as he spoke.
“Dude, it's not even midday yet, not even eleven! Oh, you on camera, hold on.”
Noodle was a tiny thing. Despite being the oldest person there the ageing twink was also the second shortest, his femboy persona reflected on him, even through his exhaustion. He smiled as he saw the whole gang, and there was a moment of just straight up talking, before he noticed one conspicuous absence.
“Where is Adam? I thought he wasn’t at work today.”
They gave each other a look and a smile, Adam trying to remain still.
“He is about, don’t worry,” Dan said, “listen though, we have been talking, debating, other things, and you came up, so I thought we could just cut to the chase and ask you.” Noodle shrugged, but his gesture implied continue. “Say we found a device that could teleport you over to the UK, would you let us use it?”
Noodle, a fan of hypotheticals, leaned back in his gaming chair.
“What would you take?” They gave him a quizzical look. “Like, would you just yoink me or take some of my stuff too.” Liam looked through the device, confirming that he could take an outfit with him, adding that this was all consenting. “Oh, so like if you had a teleporter that only teleported me to you would you like it if you used it? Can I go back?”
Liam looked at the device again. “In about three hours, yeah.”
“Fuck dudes yeah, I’d love it. Would you show me hills and shit? Fuck, would you show me that village that’s gay?” Dan said yes, explaining it wasn’t a village that was gay just a place were queerfolk gathered called ‘the Gay Village’, all while Liam prepared the test. “I’m all down for it. Better than swampy-ass Virginia.”
“And uh, what outfit?” Dan asked, Liam hovering over the options.
“For gay-ass manchester? That blue-jumpered one, with the white blouse underneath. I’m gonna go full-on Reggie, thigh highs t-...”
In a blink Noodle went from being on the far side of the screen to in front of it, staring at his friends, dressed in a loose Aqua jumper, white blouse, grey skirt and programming socks, little feet in little shiny shoes. He stood there, staring at them for a moment, the three salivating.
“Am I having a stroke?” He asked.
--
The explanation took longer than expected, the Reggie-wannabie sitting in the armchair, soon holding Adam in his hands, mixed feelings about everything. He gave Adam, one of his best friends, a squeeze, then set him down on the coffee table.
“Okay.” He began, looking at the device wide-eyed. “So, first question, why the fuck didn’t you just tell me all that shit before you teleported me over?”
“Would you have believed us?” Liam asked with a wry grin.
“No, but I still would have let you use it.” They paused, looking over him with confusion. Noodle sighed, gesturing at the TV. “If you came to me and said ‘Hey, I have a device that can teleport you places and turn you into things, can we test it out on you?’ my answer would have still been yes. Like, I wouldn’t believe you, but I would have still let you, because what’s the worse that could happen? It's like the first reaction of a British person, after getting power, is to use that power deceptively, and I’ve not even got any tea!”
They four brits stifled a laugh, masking their shame.
“Do you want tea though?” Dan asked. Noodle nodded, smiling again.
--
By the time the tea was made a more reflective Noodle was sitting in the garden, Chell having emerged from her room, the group all catching up, talking in person for the first time. Noodle was, as always, a shining light in the dark, drawing everyone in, quashing all conflict.
“So, what’s next?” Noodle said, gesturing to the laptop. Adam sat on his lap, the two magnets for one another, Siya holding his hand.
“Look, I’m sorry guys.” Chell began. She looked at the screen, at her own details, recoiling. “No one should have that power. It's evil.”
“It is.” Noodle concurred, flipping the screen at himself. “But we can fix that. Ask the thing if it can block its own abilities.”
After some typing and navigating Liam found the answer, which told them that it could indeed limit it so that people had to consent to changes, even in reality alteration. Without asking another question, Noodle leaned over, committing the block.
“There, what else could we do to get you onboard?” He said, smiling at Chell. She sneered, looking at the machine with forlorn want. “Let me put it another way, what worries you, or are you just a lil wigged out by it?”
“I am a little ‘wigged’,” she sighed, “but it's not that. Fuck. I feel like a TERF.”
“Bold of you to say that with Noodle present.” Dan added. She waved dismissively at him.
“I’m not a TERF, it's just, something about people becoming something they aren’t just. Ugh. It feels deceptive.”
“Chell, honey.” Noodle laughed, eyes flickering over his friends. “HONEY, we are all running around pretending we are she we aren’t, and, well, are you saying you don’t feel like you are hiding parts of yourself?”
She sat back, looking annoyed at the accusation, but infuriated by how much she agreed with it. If it were another day, another situation, another friend, she would have called it quits there. But she didn’t. Worse still was another annoying fear rising in her gut, as she looked over the room; the fear that this was going to be fun, and she was going to miss out over something so petty, or not be there when things went wrong, putting Siya in danger.
“Okay.” She relented. “I will be here, but I don’t want you using it on me yet, okay?” They agreed. “Okay, then what do we do next?”