tushanshu | video;

[After getting the lowdown from a rather nice lady, a very annoyed-looking young woman is staring balefully at the camera.]

Are you serious.

Are you serious.

Because people keep explaining this Life-Death-Dreaming thing to me and it sounds like bullshit. There are two planes I can be on and I’m apparently not on either of them and that is so much bullshit I have apparently been dropped into the former pasture of a hekatomb of oxen because what the hell.

Look. Look at this. [She holds up her journal with a helpful diagram of a stick figure, a vertical line, and another stick figure, and a double-sided arrow.] My soul can be Waking, or it can be Otherside, or it can occasionally be both at the same time because my life is a dumpster fire. Not this, okay? [She puts the journal down, raises her hand, and taps the labradorite ring she’s wearing.] My soul is not in a rock. Even if it’s a really pretty rock, and I know from pretty rocks.

[Frustratedly:] Like, oh my gods. Every single god I have ever met. All of them. Up to and including Inari-Ōkami. For the love of baby Jesus in his mangery crib. Put me back. I want to speak to the manager. Yeah. The spell manager.

Fix this, Obama.

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[She grins and does finger guns at him.] Nice! You're a lot more outgoing than the guy I know, though.

This place is pretty weird, but it's the kind of weird I'm kinda used to. Got any advice?

Hah. I...get told that a lot.

[He's a lot better than he used to be, yay for being outside his father's shadow long enough to flourish into his own person. ]

Talk to people, get to know them - foreigners and natives. Helping the natives out if they need it is a good idea, it helps foster a good relationship between us, which believe me, we really need.

Okay, yeah, that makes sense.

[Both from her real-life experience, and with cultivating relationships in video games! Who says games don't teach you anything?]

Anyone in particular I should look out for?

[He's absolutely agree. Video games helped him defeat an akuma victim once, so!]

Hm, depends on the sort of people you like to hang around with. Sheena is super friendly, so is Danny. They'd help you out if you needed it. Raine is great too, especially with settling down here.

[Hell yeah!]

Yeah, I've heard good things about Raine. She's a healer, right? And Danny seems cool. You do too, Adrien.

She is! If you're ever in need of a healer, I recommend her. Danny's awesome.

[He ducks his head, embarrassed.]

Oh...I don't know about that. Just trying to help.

[Shh. You're gonna be her friend. She will carebearstare you into being her friend. Accept it, Adrien.]

Hey, anyone trying to help gets a gold star in my book. You would not believe the amount of cryptic shit I get told, so people being straightforward is super refreshing.

Hopefully I won't need a healer anytime soon, but with my luck, you never know.

[He needs so many friends. Carebearstare him to the ground, Aly. Don't let him escape. ]

Really? Well, that's a shame, everyone deserves to hear it straight. It makes it easier to live anywhere.

Fingers crossed you'll be okay for a while, huh?

[Once she's pinned you down, you won't escape. She's got you now. And not just because you remind her of Soren, Adrien.]

It makes it easier to do shit. Trying to figure things out when you only have 1% of the information is a pain.

Yeah, fingers and toes crossed. We can only hope.

[He will absolutely take it.]

That's very true. And not all of the natives are very...uh forthcoming.

[Especially lately. ]

That's okay. I can be super charming when I want to.

[No, Aly. You really can't. Not like this.]

I'm good with people.

[In a certain way, yes. Not one anyone will like.]

Then you've already got a pretty good advantage working for you.

[He offers her a smile. He's good with people in theory, so long as he can remain polite and distant. He's much better at it when he can put the mask on. ]

[She smiles back. FRIEND ACHIEVED.]

That's what I think, anyway. And you seem to be good with people, too.

[Such a great friend achievement!! Puns are an added extra! ]

Well, I've been here a little while now, I've got a little better at it than I used to be.

Does this place teach you that friendship is magic? Is that what this is all about? Like, I used to wonder what friendship could be until you all shared its magic with me?

[Aly. Stop it.]

[LONG PAUSE.]

...

Dude, is that the theme song to My Little Pony?

[CALLED OUT ABORT ABORT]

What? No.

Absolutely not.

One hundred percent that is not what that is.

[It's too late, she's been caught!!! His face splits into a grin.]

Oh my god, it totally is! Don't tell me you're...whatever they call the female equivalent of a Brony?

I am absolutely not. A friend of mine made me watch it. She kind of sat us all down and wouldn't let us leave.

[Dammit, Annie!]

So you were in an equine hostage situation? That's neigh-ribble.

[Adrien, no. ]

How many magical friendship lessons did you learn?

[She smiles.]

It wasn't so bad. She did make us pony up some dough to order pizza, though.

[THE RARE DOUBLE PUN!!!]

Probably too many. It's impossible to unlearn them.

Wow. She was really die hard. Got to admire her dedication.

I hear that. Sounds like the world could use a few of those.

[His life would be 100% easier without people losing their shit over each other. ]

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