"So. You uh. You got a good voice."

....

"But you uh." He rugs his neck awkwardly and your eyes trace the movement. "Well, I'll be a bit blunt, if you'll excuse me."

His name is Eric Erickson. The others had teased him over that before.

"Your lack of facial expressions? And refusal to talk to us when you aren't recording? It's uh. It's gettin to the rest of the cast." He looks in your eyes before quickly flicking them away. You wonder if he knows about how you dislike eye contact? Probably not. Your eyes probably just creep him out.

"We're a team."

He doesn't really like confrontation, but he was probably the only one who wanted to extend a hand out to you. He's a bit of a pushover like that.

He's too sweet for his own good. And anxious, but you're not one to talk.

"Which means we work together, and well. Talk together?"

He doesn't like the others joking about his name. He always flicks his eyes left when they do. He doesn't look hurt, though. Just mildly annoyed.

"We'd. We'd really appreciate it if you… tried? To talk with us? Or… nod? Or um. Frown?" He doesn't believe this will work. It'd probably be an ego boost for him if you went along with this, help from one anxious mess to another in the confidence department.

Shame though.

Shame it always goes like this for you.

"Well? What do you say?" His eyebrows curl slightly up. Pity? Or just hope that's trying to be held up?

"Friends?" He smiles. He even has a hand out for you to hold.

Every production you've worked on ends up like this. Well. Not all of them. Some of them already have people who know about you in them. And they tell the others. And surprisingly, sometimes the entire cast just. Leaves you be.

It's fine. It's not like you're anything other than an always-guest appearance VA. Specially known for your creepy voices. Sometimes you get to do a season's minor villain too. Those are nice.

But… it does hurt, sometimes. Watching someone come up and try to get you to join the group. It'd feel patronizing, if it didn't feel true.

True that you weren't part of their group.

That you never could be, no matter how hard you tried.