me 2016/10/15(Sat)23:04 No. 753154 ID: 18c950
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For an instant, my body seizes as I awaken, kicking off my covers and backhanding my desk. My alarm clock clatters onto the floor, and the lamp rattles as it rocks back and forth, barely avoiding falling. The pitch blackness outside indicates it's still the middle of the night, and I fumble around to turn on my lamp.

The latest chapter of my recurring dream was less than pleasant. She's had some kind of cult or secret society after her for a while, which apparently includes a classmate of hers from the wizard school she dropped out of... new information. Tonight they caught up to her again, and this time she didn't manage to get away. I try to scribble down notes about everything that happened tonight: when she first noticed she was being tailed, how they managed to trap her, how they foiled her when she almost got away. It's a little hard to concentrate, though. My mind stumbles on the fact that I woke up then, in the middle of a sentence.

Normally, my dream ends for the night when she goes to sleep. I've been having this dream every night for as long as I can remember. I go to sleep, and she wakes up, she goes to sleep, I wake up, repeat. More recently, I started practicing some techniques for remembering dreams, and taking notes, since her life is pretty fascinating. If I cut out the boring parts and make her into a more sympathetic character, I could maybe publish some fantasy novels.

me 2016/10/15(Sat)23:04 No. 753155 ID: 18c950
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"Rikka, we-"

I jump in shock and smack my hand on the desk again. It's the same hand, even. I didn't notice while I was engrossed in writing, but it's really starting to hurt. Something skitters up onto the desk. Something that, by all rights, probably shouldn't exist.

"Right, sorry for spooking you. I forgot I haven't been here in a while. But anyway, Rikka."

Rikka's not my name, it's her name.

"We're kind of in deep shit here. You know how years back I traced your soul over here, right?"

Now that I take a closer look, I've seen this thing before.

"They're trying to do the same thing, and open a gate."

It was my imaginary friend when I was younger.

"I know I don't belong here, so I just popped in to say hi, but they're planning on kicking the door down."

And now that I think of it, it's also her familiar, Byndr. How did I miss that?

"People don't have magic here. It's gonna cause a huge mess, Rikka."

"...my name's not Rikka."

"Oh? Oh. Right, not you, you. What's your name here?"

Josephine.

Josephine 2016/10/16(Sun)05:27 No. 753181 ID: 18c950
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"Jo-"

"I remember! Josie!"

"Josephine," I snap.

"...not Josie?"

"Nobody's called me Josie for years." I've got some bad memories about my childhood nickname.

"Ah, I guess it has been, what... ten years, give or take?"

"Try fifteen."

I was wondering when this would happen, really. Maybe I didn't wake up all the way. Maybe I've been crazy all along. Or maybe a little crystalline demon who was my best friend when I was six is hanging out on my desk in the middle of the night. I slump forward and lean on my desk. At the moment, suspect it's the second option.

Byndr sits back on its hind legs. Its expression is, as usual, unreadable. "Is the discrepancy that great? ...nevermind. I need you to contact the prince."

What.

Josephine 2016/10/16(Sun)05:28 No. 753182 ID: 18c950
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"I know you and Prince Yugen aren't necessarily on the best of terms, but-"

"No seriously, why ask me?"

This doesn't make sense on multiple levels. Firstly, Prince Yugen and Rikka are enemies. Perhaps "rivals" at best. Yugen is prince of the kingdom, a swordsman and a scholar, and a hero of the people. Rikka is a notorious burglar. Secondly, and more importantly, he's not on Earth, he's... wherever it is that Rikka lives. Now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure they also call their world "Earth," so that's not a particularly helpful descriptor. And third, even if I do contact him, what's he supposed to do about... whatever is going on? He's both talented and influential, but I'm fairly certain Rikka's knocked out and being used as the centerpiece for some ritual right now, and the prince isn't there. I mean, if they even exist, which is still pretty questionable.

Byndr gestures frustratedly. "You mean you hadn't noticed? His soul is twice-bound, just like yours. Its what draws you together. I'm sure you're as close here as there."

"So, nemeses?"

"Or best friends. Rivals. Relatives. Not necessarily someone you see often, but whenever you do, your encounters are passionate."

Well, Rikka does like pulling big, public capers right under Yugen's nose... and she thinks he's smoking hot... but for me, in the real world, that's a bit too vague to really narrow things down.

Josephine 2016/10/16(Sun)05:28 No. 753183 ID: 18c950
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"Oh, and whatever you do, don't sleep until you've found help. We can't afford to wait until Rikka wakes up."

Now my hallucination is telling me not to sleep. This is the best. "Yeah, sure. Gotcha." Anyway, not like I'm going to try calling people in the middle of the night or something. Or miss class because my psychosis told me I had more important things to do. Guess for now, I'll finish writing notes on my dream.

...

"You okay, Jo? You look exhausted."

"Woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep."

"Ooh, I hate when that happens."

Byndr vanished at some point, but it can walk the planes and turn invisible, so maybe it'll be back. ...ha ha, ha... what the hell am I thinking? Anyway, how should I go about looking for this guy? Hopefully without sounding absolutely bonkers to everyone I know.

This is someone you have an intense interaction with or without reason. I assume at least one person in your live fulfill this description, maybe a couple. Approach those individuals, starting with your friend, and ask if they know Yugen. Whoever is dreaming about him every nigh will surely recognize the name, and unless they intentionally deny any knowledge, should provide clues and an opening to talk about those dreams.

Question.

What happens if you fall unconscious on this end after your other body dies?

You might need to get involved.

The enemy mages use magic. Buy some toy airplanes (the smartphone kind), strap chemicals and explosives. Use internet for instructions. Practice blowing pioneers' faces off.

Simple.

And if that was just you going insane then you need to get a dangerous hobby anyway. In this country, it's practically a requirement for all crazy people who crazily enough have not been sent to the crazy house by other crazy people.

>>753184
Yeah just asking people if they know the name Yugen should be fine. If they don't it's not that unusual right?

I mean, unless you've told them about your dreams. Then it might be a bit weird.

>>753197
Yeah that sounds about right.

Josephine 2016/10/16(Sun)16:14 No. 753247 ID: 18c950
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I suddenly find myself thinking about what it would mean for my sleep if Rikka died. Would I dream about being dead? Maybe I'd just have normal dreams. That'd be nice, except it'd make it hard to finish writing my book.

Oh right, finding the prince.

"Hey... do you know the name Yugen?"

"Yeah, it's Japanese, right?"

"...is it?"

"Yeah, Yugen means something like... profound awareness."

I reflexively correct her pronunciation. "Not 'Yugen,' 'Yugen.'"

"...what?" She's looking at me funny now.

I've gone too far! Abort! "It was... from a comic?"

"Yeah sure. A manga maybe?"

"No, like... a webcomic?"

"You're really tired, aren't you?"

...why am I even asking her anyway? Aren't I looking for a guy? Huh... I don't even know all that many guys, and I don't really know any of them that well.

Yeah, this isn't going to work. Even if Yugen was in this town, it would take too many awkward greetings to have a non-negligible chance of finding him.

But we all know there's ONE place where thousands of viewers look at the scrawlings of madmen, patriots, and patriotic madmen with illusioned fervor!

TO THE INTERNET!!!

One post and prepare for the backdraft of stoned commenters.

What do you mean a guy? You share souls, not bodies. Is Rikka physically identical to you?

On the dream thing:
If it's all in your unconscious Rikka won't ever die. The mind can't accept this possibility so you create solutions or excuses before it happen. In this case she will always scape, be spared of death or even become undead but never truly dead.
If everything is true you share a soul with her, so when she die you will either die or live without those dreams. But that doesn't matter because Aktar will do something to her soul, your soul, and that will affect you.

I'm more curious about possible time distortions. Your dream begin when she awake and end when she sleep. Normally people sleep a third of the day. Either one or both of you are sleeping more than most people and having perfect timing, or your times aren't synchronized except by the aliment between unconsciousness.
The last option looks more likely but it present another problem: if you experience her entire day during however long you sleep and Yugen does the same, how can your time distortion aligned with his? For example: if the prince sleep regularly and the burglar skip a day of sleep but their counterparts sleep normally one of you will dream one day of the prince life and the other will dram two days of the burglar live, so the next day of your normal live you would be one day ahead in the magical live in relation to him, making your communication time traveling information.

>I suddenly find myself thinking about what it would mean for my sleep if Rikka died. Would I dream about being dead? Maybe I'd just have normal dreams.
...or maybe you'd drop dead, since you seem to share a soul and all. Maybe if she loses it while she's got custody, you never get it back.

>...why am I even asking her anyway? Aren't I looking for a guy?
You're looking for someone who shares a soul with a guy when they dream. That doesn't necessarily mean they're a guy. For all we know, Yugen is trans in one of the two universes. Or hell, maybe souls aren't gendered at all and can happily host people of different genders in different universes. What do you know about souls, after all?

Maybe a question for Byndr next time you're alone.

>what do
Get introspective here. Don't worry about gender, age, or other biasing factors. Who are the people who are important to you in your life? Your closest friends, dearest family, romantic partners, worst rivals / enemies. Let's get a short list of suspects going.

Might also help if you could wear or display anything emblematic of your dream world, that won't draw a lot of attention, but might get someone who recognized it from their own dream to do a double take. Is there a symbol you associate with Rikka, Yugen, or their world?

Buy a pay-as-you-go phone, sneak into the boys' bathroom, and carve the new phone's number into the wall along with Prince Yugen's crest or personal symbol.

Josephine 2016/10/17(Mon)06:03 No. 753390 ID: 18c950
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Ugh, this is a mess and I need some time to think. And maybe a chance to find Byndr.

"Hey, I need to hit the restroom before class."

"Wait, seriously? We only have, like, two minutes."

"It'll be fine, Raleigh doesn't take attendance. Just, I dunno, save me a seat or something." I duck into the restroom and peek under the stalls real quick. Good, nobody's here. "Hey, Byndr? You here?"

I suddenly notice him sitting on my shoulder. "Of course, Jo."

"Didn't I tell you to call me Josephine?"

"You did, but Anna called you Jo and you didn't react negatively."

"...have you been hanging around the whole time?"

"I'm here to assist you, as always."

That's kind of creepy. "So uh, what are the rules of... soul-sharing? What might the prince look like here?"

"Sentient. Which, going by the rules of this world, means his reflexion is almost certainly human."

"...anything else?"

"Probably around your age, given that the prince is slightly older than Rikka, but I suspect her sleep schedule is much more erratic."

"Yeah, I was kind of wondering about that. How exactly does that work?"

"Well, you've probably noticed that time passes differently here and there, according to when you sleep."

"Right."

"The same is true of the prince and his reflexion, so if Rikka naps twice and Yugen sleeps once, then two of your days pass to his reflexion's one."

"So, once we meet up, are we even going to be... synced up? And couldn't we use this to pass messages through time?"

"Jo."

"...yeah?"

"I strongly recommend against disrupting causality."

"Noted. So is that it? Human, around my age but that depends on how we sleep... male?"

"I see no reason to make any assumptions of sex."

Great.

Josephine 2016/10/17(Mon)06:04 No. 753391 ID: 18c950
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So, putting this all together, I've got a few friends, enemies, and other acquaintances that could fit the bill.

My mind jumps first to Joe. He'd probably call me a love interest, if not already more. I'd call him a nuisance. We've got a few hobbies in common, and we've both got a thing for camo. He's taken this to mean we're meant for each other or something, but I can't get over the fact that he's a disgusting creeper with no sense of personal space or hygiene. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if Prince Yugen thought similarly of Rikka, so he's still probably worth noting.

...and that's the end of the "guys" list, so unless I'm forgetting someone I'd kind of prefer if some girl had a time-share on Yugen's soul.

The "girls" list would start with Robin, who's my cousin and basically my would-be-best-friend-if-we-didn't-live-500-miles-apart since forever... but I'm pretty sure I told her about the dreams already when we were kids and I think that basically kicks her out of the ranking since if she was Yugen, I'd know.

Devin's my best local friend, got to know her in elementary school and have been hanging out ever since. We don't actually have all that much in common, but we're just... close. The sort of friend I can just hang out with without actually doing anything together, just sharing space. Basically the first person I call on if I help, or just to bitch about something, or whatever.

Then there's Cindy. Back in middle school she was this popular girl who was ringleader of this group of girls who bullied the shit out of me. Then we went to different high schools. I met her again at the local college and she's... actually pretty cool nowadays. Her insults have a lot less bite to them, I've got thicker skin, and I'd even say you could call us friends now.

On the other side of that equation is Wendy. In high school she was the cool senior girl I thought the world of, and she looked out for us freshmen. I cried my eyes out at her graduation. At the college though, she's been TA for a few of my classes and holy shit, why did I ever look up to this bitch? It's kind of obvious that she thinks she's the smartest woman in the world and the rest of us students are just trash.

And again, I could be forgetting someone, or just missing the significance of a relationship or something, so I should do at least something to try to reach out passively. Some kind of symbol I could use... I doubt I could draw the royal family's heraldry in any meaningful way, but I could write Yugen's name and stick it on my backpack. That'd probably catch his attention. And if anybody else asks, I dunno... it's for an ARG or something.

Josephine 2016/10/17(Mon)06:04 No. 753392 ID: 18c950
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...

Oh god... Raleigh's lectures are so boring I can hardly keep my eyes open, but I'm worried that if I fall asleep Aktar will like, I dunno, tear out my soul or something. I don't have any idea what people can do with soul magic, and to my exhausted mind that means anything is possible. I'm still not sure any of this is real but I'm terrified... and I still want to go to sleep!

>>753390
Causality is an important barrier to the chaos of quantum player.removeitem <SelfPreservation> <1> CAN SUCK IT!!!

Stick the Fishbone of Diamonds in your pants.

>>753392
Either start pinching yourself etc to stay awake or just walk out. Repercussions will be minor in the latter case, and you can make up an excuse like you got sick in the bathroom or something.

>"I strongly recommend against disrupting causality."
...if we're jumping around universes to get work to Yugen so he helps Rikka, aren't we already breaking linear causality? As far as a given universe is concerned, we're getting information and causeless effect ex nihilo.

>That said, I wouldn't be surprised if Prince Yugen thought similarly of Rikka, so he's still probably worth noting.
So in your dreams, you only get her perceptions then? You see what she sees, hear what she hears, but you aren't privy to what she thinks or feels about things?

...I wonder how she feels now, watching you stumbling through the motions to try and help her. If it's really two way, she's watching you, right now. She always has been.

>I could write Yugen's name and stick it on my backpack. That'd probably catch his attention.
You'll have to arrange to pass by your potential suspects today, but that should work.

Only problem is if it's pinned to your bag, and you're wearing it, they might be behind you when they see it, so you'd miss the double take and they might have their reaction under control before you get a look at their face.

>I'm terrified... and I still want to go to sleep!
Do something proactive maybe? Sketch plans for the rest of the day? You might need to get some coffee or other stimulants if you're already flagging.

>>753422
Cutting class might be a good idea, if you can't make it. Your life is on the line, and you can always make an excuse later.

Josephine 2016/10/17(Mon)20:26 No. 753506 ID: 18c950
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>You see what she sees, hear what she hears, but you aren't privy to what she thinks or feels about things?
When dreaming, I don't just see what she sees, I think what she thinks... but that doesn't tell me anything about what Prince Yugen thinks. I'm trying to understand both sides of that relationship. On a related note, though, I remember that Rikka wishes smartphones and the internet were real. In the same vein, I wish I could teleport.

Plans to run into my primary suspects... well, Wendy and Cindy should be easy to bump into. Wendy TAs for my next class, and Cindy's in the class after that. Devin I could just call when she's off work. Joe's the tricky one, since I intentionally don't have his number or anything. I could probably swing by the card shop after class though? He's usually there on fridays... which is why I don't go on fridays anymore.

For now though, I need to get some coffee or something ASAP. Anna's asleep so I'll leave her a note... duck out of class, swing by the cafeteria...

...oh god, it's Joe. I mean, I know I kind of need to talk to him, but I don't think I can deal with him right now. And... yeah he just spotted me.

>I mean, I know I kind of need to talk to him, but I don't think I can deal with him right now.
Jeeze, look at this jerk. Yeah, you're much better off if your sorta-soulmate is a girl.

Well suck it up, wave, make sure he sees you note, see if he visibly reacts.

If he doesn't set off any alarms, make excuses about desperately needing caffeine to escape conversation.

>In the same vein, I wish I could teleport.
How high is the magic level in Rikka's world? Like, are teleports big managed things between important places like flights? Are they something a mage can pull off solo? Is that something Rikka would have to invest a lot of time in to prep, or can she snap her fingers and pop across the world several times in quick succession?

>>753506
>don't think I can deal with him right now
>>753182
>whenever you do, your encounters are passionate.

Sounds like Joe could be the prince we're looking for. Hold up the otherworld nametag, ask him "What does this say? You have ten seconds." If he doesn't spit out something Yurgen would known before you count down to zero, roll your eyes and depart.

Josephine 2016/10/18(Tue)14:22 No. 753657 ID: 18c950
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>magic level
Long distance teleportation is possible with a lot of resources and preparation. Generally though, it'd be easier, less expensive, and not much slower to just take a carriage or something... excepting in the case that you're super rich and can have afford to pay someone else to do all the work for you, so it takes a long time for them and no time for you. Rikka, on the other hand, just does short distance teleportation, e.g. across a room, to the other side of a wall, or teleporting something nearby into her hand. It's physically and mentally taxing, too... like sprinting during a chemistry exam. Still, the idea of just waving your hands, speaking a word, and being somewhere else is pretty appealing in a situation like this.

...but I probably should check him, so I guess I might as well pretend he doesn't disgust me for a few seconds. I wave to Joe, and his face lights up like a kid in a candy shop.

"Hey! Jo!"

"Joe."

"Another bizarre adventure, eh?" This joke again. Every single time.

"..."

"...eh?"

"Ha." I grab the note from the back of my bag. "Speaking of adventures, what's this say?" I flip it around to show him.

He scratches at his rampant stubble and squints. "...uh... sorry, I'm only taking conversational Japanese."

I'm so glad I don't need to beg Joe for help. I give a sigh of relief, then switch to my cover story. "No, it's from an ARG." Saying it out loud, I realize how appropriate it is to call it an 'Alternate Reality Game.'

"What's it about?"

I notice he's reaching for the page and pull back. "It's... it'll be better if you find out on your own. Look it up!" I try to dodge around him and head for the coffee line.

He pursues me. "Woah, hey! Wait!"

"Wha-... aren't you in the middle of a game?"

"Yeah, but... look what up? I can't even read that!"

"Ugh." If I act like I'm interested in something, of course he's going to take it way too seriously. "Here, snap a picture with your phone or something." I hold the name up again.

"Oh, good idea!" He digs around in his pockets for entirely too long and spills some kind of wrapper on the floor before finding his phone. He snaps a picture and asks, "So what, should I just reverse image search this or something?"

"You'll figure it out," I say as I stick it to my backpack again. I'd be amazed if he actually did. "Anyway, I've gotta get some coffee before my next class."

"Yeah, sure," he says, smirking at his phone as he heads back to the game. Something about his look weirds me out, but honestly I don't actually want to know what he's thinking.

Josephine 2016/10/18(Tue)14:23 No. 753658 ID: 18c950
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...

I get to my next class a bit early, and do some stretches to stay active while waiting for the caffeine to kick in. O-chem will probably help, too. I mean, no offense to cultural anthro, but Professor Raleigh is way less interesting than explosives. The previous class finally lets out, and I get out my notes so I can go over them real quick in case there's a quiz. Heh... diene.

When I come in, Wendy's kind of smirking at me as I come in the door, for some reason. There are still some students waiting to talk to her and the professor... and now that I think of it, there probably will be after class, too. How am I going to confront her about... crazy stuff?

>>753658
You could try just flashing the written name at her... she might have already seen it, actually.

>>753667
Sit with your backpack on your desk, now facing her, for the whole class. That shouldn't look too odd, right? And then you can ask a question or something to draw some attention to you.

Of course, this is all assuming she wouldn't see the note but ignore it...

>Something about his look weirds me out, but honestly I don't actually want to know what he's thinking.
He's thinking he's got a puzzle to solve (which is appealing and engaging to many people) and if he does, it's a way to relate to you. He's going to try and impress you by figuring it out, or just get into it so he has something to talk with you. tl;dr- you gave him an inch.

>How am I going to confront her about... crazy stuff?
Go up to talk to her about less crazy stuff, and include the crazy thing in or on top of your pile of notes, which you will rest on her desk when you go up to chat. She'll look at them- natural reflex- and you see if you get a suspicious reaction or recognition towards the gobbledygook next to your chemistry.

If it's not here you wrap up whatever friendchat or chemchat you initiated, grab your stuff again, and find a seat for class. If it is her... she'll probably be as interested as you in finding some excuse to get you away and talk about it.

Josephine 2016/10/19(Wed)07:47 No. 753848 ID: 18c950
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There's too much of a line to actually get a chance to talk to her before class, so I sit near the front corner and plant my backpack on my desk. Wendy sort of watches me out of the corner of her eye as I sit down. Times like these are when I really feel like she has something out for me personally. I try to shift my bag around to draw attention to it, As I kind of feared, we did start with a quiz before getting into lecture, so I immediately need to take my bag back off my desk for the quiz.

I did get to look over my notes for a few minutes, and I knew basically what to expect, but I'm also still running two cups of coffee and two hours of sleep so it's not easy. At one point I stare off into space to think and "into space" happens to be right at Wendy, so when I think I have an answer I suddenly realize we've locked eyes. Is she laughing at me?

After the quiz is collected I get back on plan "please read this gibberish on my bag and tell me it doesn't mean anything."

Josephine 2016/10/19(Wed)07:48 No. 753849 ID: 18c950
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There's a short break in the middle of lecture and Wendy walks right up and leans on my desk. I pull back a bit to raise my defenses.

"Are you okay today? You look really tired."

"...what?" I wasn't expecting anything approximating concern out of her.

"...cute. Well, good for you dragging yourself in here anyway. A shitty score's better than a zero."

That's what I was expecting. "Yeah."

She looks over at my bag as though she just noticed something, despite my desk having been right in front of hers for the past hour. "Huh... what language is that? It looks... kind of familiar."

And she immediately drives off the map again. There's a fork in the road where the left side said "What's this garbage you're wasting your time on?" and the right side said "What the fuck are you doing with my name on your bag?" and she kept going straight. Or maybe that was a u-turn. What now?

Careful. She might be a different twice-bound with opposing loyalties.

Start talking about the political climate in alternate earth. See what her opinions are about certain policies held by the various factions.

>>753849
That could be a way to signal she knows without being the first to bring up crazy stuff. On the other hand, she might just be mistaken about recognizing it. Or she could be a different twice bound, or she could be Yugen but not remember it clearly because, you know, dreams.
So ... Say it's something you made up in your dreams, and see if she picks up the thread?

>>753849
It's possible she doesn't remember her dreams. Which is a big fucking problem, didn't it take practice for you to remember yours?

Ask her if she has recurring dreams about being someone else. Explain that the writing is a language you saw in your dreams like that and you thought it looked cool so you decided to decorate your bag with it. (yes it's super dumb looking but she already thinks you're dumb so whatever)

>What now?
Possible interpretations:
1) she does recognize it, and does dream of Yugen, but she's playing it cool to try and draw more info without tipping her crazy hand. Unlike you, she has no reason to believe what she's been dreaming is real. She might even be rationalizing that it's a real language she must have incorporated into her dream.
2) She's Yugen, but she doesn't remember her dreams as clearly as you. (Because he's not a mage? Or who knows). Which is going to make convincing her of anything and getting help pretty hard.
3) She's someone completely different with a dual soul. Maybe in the other world she's from a different country so the language only looks vaguely familiar to her, or her other self is too young to be literate, etc.
4) False positive. No connection to the other world, but she's interested in it for whatever reason.

>"Huh... what language is that? It looks... kind of familiar."
>What now?
Not much to do but provide additional information and see if she responds in a way that rules her in or out.

For example, it's a pretty low risk move to tell her the name of the language. If she is from the other world, it might get a reaction. If she's normal, you can always excuse it as something made up / from fantasy after.

Josephine 2016/10/19(Wed)20:14 No. 753956 ID: 18c950
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I kind of hesitate about going off the deep end, but it might be the only way to figure out what's going on.

"It's... Wivamn."

"I didn't quite catch that."

"Wivamn. I mean..." I'll try to clarify a bit while still not getting too blatant. "It might be originally from somewhere else, but I had a dream about it."

She gets this kind of blank look, like she's realizing something. Hopefully she's connected it to her own dreams, and not... thinking I'm crazy.

Josephine 2016/10/19(Wed)20:15 No. 753957 ID: 18c950
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She suddenly picks up my backpack and stands up. "Professor? This girl's not feeling well so I'm going to help her."

"What."

"I'll try to be back before class resumes but I may be late." She's already leaving with my backpack.

Professor Tong looks at us. "That should be fine, miss Green."

"Wait, what?" I chase her out of the lecture hall.

Once we're in the hall, she starts quickly walking away, and I follow her since, at the very least, she has my stuff. "What's going on here? Why do you even know any of this?"

Well, that's a pretty good sign, I guess? What do I tell her? Where do I start?

>>753957
She might not be the one you're looking for, just another twice-bound like you. Start slow in your explanation, tell her like you said, it's from your dreams. Ask if she has dreams like yours, of living as someone else every night. Has she trained to remember them? Can she influence her dreams?

Don't reveal who you are until she tells you who her alter ego is. If she's not Yugen then you don't want to tell her about the cult. For all we know she might be one of the cultists, in which case revealing who you are would be SERIOUSLY BAD.

>Well, that's a pretty good sign, I guess? What do I tell her? Where do I start?
"I've... had a reoccurring dream. My while life. I got to sleep, and when I dream, I'm someone else. Somewhere else. I never had reason to think it was more than that. This sound familiar to you?"

Wait for some kind of confirmation. Assuming she's still with you, and you're somewhere moderately private...

"Then something happened last night. The reason I'm running on no sleep, questioning my sanity, and trawling an alien language around to see if anyone else recognized it. Someone showed up and told me it was real."

"Byndr, could you come out?"

Then she's got the same physical evidence you do this is real. Honest to god magic creature from another world.

Once we're past that you can worry about the whole being Rikka thing, needing help, not being safe to fall asleep.

Don't tell her she's Yugen, wait to see who she says she is. There's always the small chance there's more of you strung across two universes. You have no way of knowing how common this is. If a whole bunch of people connect to magic world. Hell, maybe some people connect to different worlds. Dream about being space adventurers instead of mage thieves and princes.

Important question: did Rikka and Yugen ever bang. Are you and Wendy about to be remembering the same embarrassing dream sex.

Embarrassing question for the familiar that will only slip out because you're sleep deprived: "Wait, does this soul bound thing mean we're supposed to be soul mates? Because I don't think I'm gay."

>>753957
"Like I said. Dreams. I take it you get them too?

"I guess this proves neither of us is crazy." (That part after she confirms obviously.)

And then you know go into detail.

But yes do ask her who she is before you say anything (more) about Yugen.

Josephine 2016/10/20(Thu)01:47 No. 753983 ID: 18c950
File 147695322717.png - (5.17KB , 400x400 , 17.png )

"I've... had a reoccurring dream. My whole life. I go to sleep, and when I dream, I'm someone else. Somewhere else. This sound familiar to you?"

"...yes," she says, slowing her steps slightly.

"Ok, is there somewhere around here we can be alone?" I ask, and she stumbles a bit, then looks ahead. "Because I'm pretty sure we're about to start talking like otherkin."

"Prof's office." We scramble over to the chemistry offices, and she grabs at my bag for a bit, looks confused, then sighs and hands it back to me. "Shit." She tries the handle, but it's locked. "I left my stuff back-" she says, starting to head back to the lecture hall.

"No, wait. I might be able to-" I knock lightly on Professor Tong's door. "Can you..."

I trail off as I feel the air around me shift. Wendy, who's already taken a couple of steps, stops and looks back at me. There's a scratching on the other side of the door, followed by a tinkling sound, then a click. I try the handle myself, and this time it turns.

Josephine 2016/10/20(Thu)01:47 No. 753984 ID: 18c950
File 147695324001.png - (7.78KB , 400x400 , 18.png )

"What did you just-"

I shush her and then usher her inside. I shut the door as she hits the lightswitch. "Basically. That place you dream about? It's real. By-"

"You sure this is a good idea, Jo?" Byndr asks, popping into visibility and hopping back up to my shoulder.

"Eee!" Wendy shrieks, before covering her mouth. "What-"

Byndr whispers into my ear, "We don't necessarily want to reveal our identities yet."

"By- This-" I gather my thoughts. "This is a friend of mine. More like a friend of hers."

"Oh lord fuck," Wendy says.

"And she's in trouble. The whole world might be in trouble. The reason I'm running on no sleep, questioning my sanity, and waving an alien language around is because I'm looking for someone who can help."

Josephine 2016/10/20(Thu)01:47 No. 753986 ID: 18c950
File 147695325801.png - (5.53KB , 400x400 , 19.png )

She slumps into a chair.

"When you dream, are you someone who can help?" I ask.

"Oh my god," she blubbers. "Uh... probably?"

"Who are you?"

"...you won't laugh or anything?"

I look over at Byndr. She looks at Byndr. I look back at her. "Of course not."

She looks off to one side. "I think I'm a... prince."

"What's his name?"

"Tolevuli... Yugen Tolevuli Wiva."

Josephine 2016/10/20(Thu)01:47 No. 753987 ID: 18c950
File 147695327566.png - (5.72KB , 400x400 , 20.png )

"What the fuck? If you're Prince Yugen why didn't you recognize your own damn name?"

"What- is that what that says? Yugen almost never reads anything in common script!"

>>753987
Haha, really? Damn it. Alright, does Byndr agree that this was enough of a confirmation? We can give her more details now, I think. Oh, also, ask what the calendar date is for Yugen. If he's too far in the past we'll run a risk of disrupting causality if he helps immediately, which means he'll have to monitor the cult and then swoop in right after Rikka falls asleep in their clutches, no earlier.

>>753987
best post

anyway
Well. That's step one complete. Wasn't that hard, was it?

Anyway. Um. I guess time to tell her you're Rikka and hope she doesn't explode. Although I guess before you tell her about the specifics you should verify the time? It would be really awkward to have him come to the rescue on account of dream advice, only to be a couple months early.
Also you don't want to fuck up causality. Yet.

Actually, I wonder... can she prove her alter ego's identity? You know Yugen well enough, is there anything about him that isn't public knowledge that you know about?

>>753987
This is the point where you break down in hysterics and laugh. "God, you're - well he's - even pretentious about his name."

>what other silly things say
So, uh, what's it like, being a guy half the time?

>>753965
This eventually.

>what else say
Right. The other me, she's - I'm- Rikka. And this little guy is Byndr- the imaginary friend I haven't seen for years slash Rikka's familiar. Mine too, I guess. (Presuming the familiar bond connects to the soul and you and Rikka share a soul).

Rikka got herself captured by some kind of doom cult and he followed my soul back here. Apparently the cult are trying to do the same thing. And evil dudes with magic opening a door to a world without magic would apparently be a Bad Thing. And I can't go back to sleep or I'm going to wake up in a torture session or something. Again.

>last serious question
Byndr, what happens... if we die on one side or another? If Rikka doesn't make it out of the cult, or I get hit by a bus or something. What happens to the other one?

Maybe you should avoid telling her you are Rikka for now and focus on what Aktar is doing, where he is, and why is important to stop him. The way he talked sounded like he intended to come to this world.
Stopping a powerful evil that threats the world should be enough motivation fo Yugen, and saving her friend live (you) should be enough motivation for Wendy. This is too important to risk delays duo to the pettiness of a prince in case he is unwilling to help someone antagonistic. After that you can be more open, but even if you don't, he will have enough information to figure who you are.

On the lighter topic you could elaborate this paradoxical feeling you have of been her and been someone else simultaneously and see how Wendy see her similar situation. Is talking about their actions gossip or confessions?

Ask Wendy how badly she wants to have a baby with her other body.

Also, Byndr seems suspicious. Ask him if you can take a nap now.

>>753998
If Yugen has seen Rikka's familiar before, and familiars don't all look alike, trying to conceal our alternate identity might be a moot point. ...also we did just magically get through a locked door which might already have her thinking it already.

Josephine 2016/10/20(Thu)12:20 No. 754034 ID: 18c950
File 147699121248.png - (10.82KB , 400x400 , 21.png )

"Snrk- pffffhahahahaha-"

"Wha- what?"

It takes me a bit to stop laughing. "Phewwww... you sound like such a pretentious ass."

"Hey!"

"What? He is! Did you listen to yourself? 'Common script'? And he includes the country as part of his own name."

Wendy stifles a giggle of her own. "...oh my god, you're right. He doesn't even think of it that way."

Josephine 2016/10/20(Thu)12:20 No. 754036 ID: 18c950
File 147699124609.png - (6.68KB , 400x400 , 22.png )

"Girls," Byndr interrupts, "we have more important things to discuss."

I sober up. "Right... uh, what day is it?"

"...day?" Wendy stares at me.

"Or... what day was it, last time you were asleep?"

"Thurs- oh- um. Why?"

"Have you noticed how time passes when you sleep?"

"...yes? That's kind of the point?"

I rub my eyes. "That's... not-"

Byndr takes over. "Each night, you dream of Yugen's time from awakening to sleeping, yes? And then he dreams the same of you?"

"Yes?" Wendy tilts her head thoughtfully.

"And if you nap, you still dream of a full day of his, and vice-versa, yes?"

"That... sounds right."

"This distorts the flow of time. We need to line up his time with Ri-" He cuts himself off and looks aside before continuing, "-with hers, so we can determine what must be done."

Wendy furrows her brow. "I'm not... the dreams are pretty fuzzy... and I think Yugen doesn't really... his scribes are the ones that bother with-"

"Has anything significant happened recently, then?"

"...there was a big ceremony a couple of days ago?"

"What ceremony? How many days?"

While the two of them work out details, I sit down and kind of space out.

...

"Jo!"

I sit up suddenly. "Snzwha?" Byndr pinches my shoulder.

"Don't fall asleep yet," it says. "Were you following along?"

Wendy just smirks at me.

"I, uh..." I try to think, but I have no idea what was just said. "No."

"The prince should have this dream that morning. He should be able to send a force in time, but it will likely be cutting it close," Byndr says.

"Send a... you mean he won't come in person?"

"They were interested in you because you're twice-bound. Do you really think it's a good idea to just send them a second specimen?"

Josephine 2016/10/20(Thu)12:21 No. 754037 ID: 18c950
File 147699126292.png - (7.43KB , 400x400 , 23.png )

"Aw, no Prince Charming to the rescue? Rikka'll be so disappoint-"

Byndr shoots me a look that tells me he still didn't want Rikka's name to come out.

Wendy just stares. "Is that seriously-"

"-I mean-" I try to cover up.

"-you know Yugen's gay, right?"

"What."

"Gayer than a rainbow fi-oh shit."

"What?"

"I've been thinking like he was just a dream for so long-"

"Isn't he engaged?"

"-and I just outed him to one of his enemies."

"I mean, she was planning on stealing him away anyway, but I can almost hear Rikka's heart-"

Byndr's spines flare up. "Is this even important right now? Two worlds are at stake!"

Josephine 2016/10/20(Thu)12:21 No. 754038 ID: 18c950
File 147699128488.png - (14.42KB , 400x400 , 24.png )

That's right. There's a moment of silence. May the mood rest in peace.

"Hey, Byndr?" I ask.

"Yes?"

"What happens if we- they... what happens to me if Rikka dies?"

"..."

"..."

"I don't know. You two are the only cases I've seen."

Wendy pipes up, "Wait, you can't mean this is unique if there're the two-"

"The only ones bound this deeply, anyway," it corrects itself. "Many times I've felt a bit of a distant tug, but Rikka was... Rikka and Jo were... stretched blatantly through the planar membrane. Their very presence leaves a hole, and a path I could trace." It looks to Wendy. "Same with you and the prince."

Wendy and I look at each other for a bit.

"Across the countless planes, I'm sure there must be more, and someone must have studied them... perhaps Aktar found a record."

Aktar.

>"-and I just outed him to one of his enemies."
Considering Yugen's about to save her life, I think Rikka will be able to resist using that against him. And if she can't, I'll find a way to punish her.

...and it's not like she's gonna be in a state to ditch the people rescuing her, so she's gonna be gonna be at his mercy anyways.

>>754038
This is so weird. How can two different people share a soul, anyways? Are we even really different people? I mean, it feels like Rikka's different than me, but...

Also you need to thank Wendy for helping you before you pass out. You really don't want to find out what happens if Rikka dies or they harness your soul for evil magic. Torture sucks.

...and maybe appologize for the times Rikka's been a jerk.

Considering you're getting closer to passing out, how soon can Wendy take a nap to orchestrate the rescue?

This is going to sound incredibly asinine, but what would happen if you flashed blaring-white text into your eye while sleeping?

>>754044
No, no. Wendy's further upstream on the other world's timeline right now, so she should take advantage of that by staying awake as long as necessary to plan out contingencies and thoroughly rehearse the necessary words and actions, to make sure Yugen remembers it all and gets started on deploying the strike force as soon as he wakes up.

If Rikka's and Yugen's times are synchronized with Josephine's and Wendy's, doesn't matter when they sleep or for how long. As long as both of them have the same amount of uninterrupted sleeps as their counterparts, or a regular imbalance between them, their times will remain synchronized. So if Joe nap now and Wendy slept six hours from now the result in the other world should be the same as it would be if both slept at the same time.

If there is no more serious topic to discus, could you elaborate on this paradoxical identity problem. Also, assuming there will be more peaceful times, do any of you plan on developing academic research centered around bringing effective rituals and technologies from one world to the other?

>>754038
>Aktar
Do you know the name?

If not, ask.

Josephine 2016/10/21(Fri)02:47 No. 754232 ID: 18c950
File 147704326456.png - (9.78KB , 400x400 , 25.png )

"So, Byndr? Can I just go home and sleep now, or do I have to wait for Wendy to sleep first?"

"The changes should already be made, though if there's anything else you want her to hear..."

I look over at Wendy. "Um... hey Yu-..." I consider a moment, then get out of my chair and go to one knee. "Prince Tolevuli. I humbly request that you protect Rikka, and by extension myself and our world, from crazy wizards. I know Rikka has been a nuisance, and I'm deeply sorry about that, but I hope that any past transgressions may be forgiven for at least-" I realize my words have outrun my thoughts, and pause momentarily. "-for at least long enough to rescue her. If I may be so presumptuous to add, I'm sure she'd be a highly effective spy and you'd probably just need to ask. Thank you."

I spend a little while just staring at the floor. Byndr and Wendy are quiet.

"...uh... how was that?"

"I'd give it a 3/10," Wendy says. "You didn't bow anywhere near deeply enough-" I open my mouth to protest, but manage to catch it before the words come out. "-for your social status, your address was insufficiently grandiose, and you'd never get away with that 'suggestion' at the end."

I fume silently. Wendy could play an excellent wicked stepmother.

Josephine 2016/10/21(Fri)02:48 No. 754233 ID: 18c950
File 147704327991.png - (5.65KB , 400x400 , 26.png )

Then she continues, "But hey, I'm the noble, you're the street rat... and here, we're both just college students, so stand up already." She offers me a hand, and I accept.

"Right. So, uh... other than that? I don't really know- did Byndr tell you were she is?"

"Of course I did," says Byndr.

"Okay then, I'm going home. Call me when- do you even have my number?"

"Is it the same as it was in high school?" Wendy asks.

"You still have that?"

"Of co-" she coughs a bit. "Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

"I dunno, you haven't called me in years. Anyway, call me when you wake up to... I guess? Well nevermind, I guess I'll know if it worked."

"I'll do it anyway."

"Great. Thanks, Wendy. Oh, and Byndr, follow her around and answer any other questions she has."

"Of course," Byndr says.

"Good night," I say as I leave.

Wendy smiles. "See you, Jo-ohh shit how long were we talking?"

Josephine 2016/10/21(Fri)02:48 No. 754234 ID: 18c950
File 147704329953.png - (12.61KB , 400x400 , 27.png )

...

On the way home, I e-mail my professor to let her know I'll miss Creative Writing. When I get back, I cross my fingers, flop down on my bed, and go to sleep.

I wonder what we'll do when we get this all dealt with? If I take my dreams more seriously maybe we could do some kind of information exchange...

Rikka 2016/10/21(Fri)02:48 No. 754235 ID: 18c950
File 147704331550.png - (9.67KB , 400x400 , 28.png )

...

Honestly? Expected worse, but still. Worthless pile of shit fag Yugen. You'll pay for this.

>>754235
Oh, hi. Uh... What exactly is Yugen paying for? He did rescue you, right?

>>754217
Oh right, Aktar is the murder cultist.

>>754235
Where you at?

Consider using your information advantage to keep Yugen out of your hair and/or get beneficial treatment. Making him a direct enemy is likely to backfire, both in here and the other world.

>>754235
You still appear to be wearing your own gear, and you've got a pillow. That's more than I expected from the people holding you prisoner. Your hands aren't even bound.

>Worthless pile of shit fag Yugen. You'll pay for this.
Is that personal spite and anger I hear, or do you honestly have a problem with "fag"s.

In either case, he can't help how he was born (and/or what his soul is doing, if in fact that influences it), and it's not like he ever knew how you felt. If it's the latter, you haven't been paying attention enough to the world in your dreams.

Who could have guessed your rival and crush spends his dreams as a bespectacled apprentice schoolmistress, though.

>what do
What's your status? What's on you, what are your surroundings? No need to meekly wait for rescue if there's anything you can do here.

With Joe we were preoccupied about keeping you alive but disregard your priorities. Beside stopping Aktar, what do you want? Surely been under Yugen mercy isn't as attractive prospect to you as it was for Joe.

Rikka 2016/10/21(Fri)04:31 No. 754248 ID: 18c950
File 147704947926.png - (10.24KB , 400x400 , 29.png )

Let's see... oh right, the rescue went absolutely perfectly, I definitely woke up in the arms of some hot prince and/or royal guard and not, in fact, the residence of some extradimensional weirdo.

Wait, no. The other one.

Fags? I don't care who's screwing who unless they're both hot and not screwing me. Yugen in particular? He's both of those things, apparently in addition to being some sort of limp-dicked failure who can't even save a single damsel in distress when he knows about it a full day in advance.

What's on me? My clothes. Some bedsheets... not those anymore. Yup, end of list.

And wow this place feels way bigger when I'm in my own body and mind.

... Okay, I have bad news and worse news, and then I have horrible news.

The bad news is, you're in Josephine's world. That means, the moment you step out that door you'll be ambushed by a horde of perverted otaku wielding cameras and groping hands.

The worse news is, Josephine is now in YOUR cell. And you KNOW she's a panicky wimp. She'll likely alert the guards, who will then recognize that their project sort-of worked and will go to town experimenting on her, and she won't have the skills to escape while they move her from the prison cell to the dissection block.

The horrible news is, you're a dick.

Okay, look for Josephine's laptop. This may be your only chance to play some video games and watch video porn. Then look for Byndr.

Well if they haven't gone to sleep yet, you can still retroactively save Jo. Find Byndr and talk with the soul double of Yugan. Get that done and you can spend the rest of the day having a nice vacation.

Anything you want from this world to take back with you? Cause there is a lot of neat shit here. Get a little solar charger and you can even use electronic stuff. Also, if you have any simple magic items or silver/gold money, I'm sure your own soul double would appreciate a bit of charity. (a single 1 oz gold coin is worth $1200. I'd be willing to give up my laptop for one of them.)

Save your bile for the bastard who did this to you, not the one who failed to save you.

If you're in Jo's world, I see only two explanations. Either the cult switched you, or this is some kind of hallucination building to the opening of the gate. As in the rescue hasn't happened yet, and they're busy trying to break you.

First things first. Check a clock. How long has it been since Jo went to sleep? Second thing: check if your magic works. You might be the only caster in this world, at least until the cult follows you here, which has advantages.

Pocket Jo's cell phone. Maybe if and when you switch back, it'll travel with you, like your clothes. Jo can buy a new one, and if you can it charged with magic and the internet works through your connection... God that would be fantastic. (Maybe leave something for her in return. Kind of rude to steal from yourself).

Open Jo's laptop, check the internet to see if there's news reports about invaders from another world. That tells you if the cult is here yet.

Then you need to contact Wanda and/or Yugen and your familiar with Jo's phone (don't know if he switched two).

...if you're going to blend in in this world you'll need to raid Jo's closet. Yours stand out. And you're going to need to conceal your ears. People here don't have pointed ones.

Gotta find a way to switch back. As fun as it might be to explore this world, and having the unfair advantage of being the only mage in the world, Jo is a child untrained in survival, violence, or magic. And entirely too kind. She is not prepared to survive your home and you don't want to find out what happens to you if she's killed. Or worse.

>>754248
Oh. Well. This is interesting.

Sorry I know you're stranded away from your home and all but all I can think is how cool this is. You've been transported to another world! How often does that happen?

First order of business, check if your magic works.

Also, before you leave the room, make sure you grab Jo's keys. Cell phone and wallet might be good too but the keys are super important, cause this being a dorm room the door probably locks automatically.

>>754248
See if you can contact Byndr. Find out what went wrong. Did Yugen betray you, or was his help simply not enough?

Rikka 2016/10/21(Fri)14:05 No. 754325 ID: 18c950
File 147708392278.png - (10.42KB , 400x400 , 30.png )

"Hey, Byndr. Byndr? Are you still hanging around that fat nerd?" No response. I take a deep breath. "Byndr!"

I wait a bit. Somebody pounds loudly on the wall.

Ugh. Whatever. Time to raid Jo's stuff... lemme turn on the light...

...from over here? From over here. Sweet.

People here don't use magic, but that's just because they suck and I'm awesome. Rikka, 1, these losers, 0.

Rikka 2016/10/21(Fri)14:05 No. 754326 ID: 18c950
File 147708394032.png - (7.67KB , 400x400 , 31.png )

Let's see, Jo can contact people with her phone... which was in her pocket.

Pocket... wallet, keys... yeah, also were in her pocket.

Um.

Wait, sometimes she can reach people through her laptop. Which is right here!

Rikka 2016/10/21(Fri)14:06 No. 754328 ID: 18c950
File 147708396006.png - (7.88KB , 400x400 , 32.png )

How do I even do... Jo has five fingers? Stupid random-ass key layout... moronic left-to-right language... how do I write one of those... e-mails?

...the internet.

I am sitting in front of a device that accesses the internet. This is amazing! This world is the best! Free and unfettered access to information, entertainment, and porn!

...

What is this "restricted website" bullshit?

> Restricted Website
Careful, those have viruses. Don't plague the laptop five minutes in.

> What do
Look for stuff using that one internet thing - you're sure it was called "Ogre" or some other stupid word - and spell something. You remember some of the words, just type something in:

News - more like olds, but whatever.
Dictionary - for telling you stuff!
Amazonian Merchant - where you buy stuff with Josephine's money
mypictureb.ox - for videos.
And any porn sites you remember Josephine watching.

>>754328
School internet access doesn't allow viewing of porn. Same with publicly available internet. CANNOT HAS.

...the more I think about it the more hopeless it seems. Everyone's asleep so you can't really contact anyone unless you go to them in person. It's not like email is going to wake anyone up.

>Let's see, Jo can contact people with her phone... which was in her pocket.
>Pocket... wallet, keys... yeah, also were in her pocket.
Darn it Jo, you're supposed to take things out of your pocket before you go to sleep. That's what people in this nice comfy luxurious world who don't have to scrabbled to survive do.

Oh well. I guess her being too tired to change for bed has benefits. Like not having to face down a cult in her pajamas.

>can't steal the phone
...maybe if you ask real nicely, you can get Jo to leave it behind on your side before you switch back? She can totally have some of your gold or something so she can be rich and your dreams can be even more relaxing. You can always steal more riches.

>What is this "restricted website" bullshit?
It means the people who run this charming school for child-adults don't want them looking at porn. Prudes. Why are the people in charge always like that?

In terms you're familiar with, it's just a wall. A lock. A ward. An obstacle between you and what you want. There are ways to get around them, but you probably don't have time to figure out how to pick internet locks right now, unless you remember how to use proxies from seeing Jo use them.

If you really want to look at porn, find Jo's porn folder. The stuff she already saved / collected. The guardians of the internet can't stop you from getting access to the stuff you already have!

>how do I write one of those... e-mails?
Navigate to her email (there's probably a bookmark you can click if it isn't open), and click on Wendy's name, or start typing it and wait for the machine to suggest her address in an autocomplete.

Then press the keys to form words out of letters! Keep it short and to the point, don't worry about proper sentences or grammar.

>Jo has five fingers?
That's... inconvenient. If you want to move around at all, having the wrong number of fingers is harder to conceal than your ears. You'd need to keep them in your pockets or wear mittens all the time. Although it being night right now might help. (Is it night? What's the clock say?).

Unless minor illusions are in your bag of tricks? What magic do you know, besides short-range teleportation, apportations, telekinesis?

Sucks to be Jo, too. Even if she gets away from the cult, she's going to be a weird looking giant in your world.

Rikka 2016/10/22(Sat)05:33 No. 754640 ID: 18c950
File 147713961887.png - (6.77KB , 400x400 , 33.png )

I'm not going to look at Jo's porn. I don't even want to remember having dreamt about Jo's porn. Humans have some disgusting ideas about sex.

...I was all excited but now I'm super not so I guess I'll get back to the shit that matters. She has a bookmark for her campus e-mail. Ok, she's e-mailed with Wendy, I can just reply.

am rika where you live? because yugan is useless dung

Clock says it's very early morning... or... past midnight? I think that's what a small first number means. Jo is often awake at these times, though, maybe Wendy is too. Guess I'll wait around, what sites aren't restricted?

...

Jo thought magic was not real? Then what is this "real live magic show"? His translocations are fantastic and he's great at disguising the gestures!

No wait, people say these are just sleights? That's actually better! I've gotta learn some of this sometime.

...

Anyway, the first number on the clock went up and I haven't heard from Wendy. If she's already asleep, I'll just have to break into her house and slap her awake so I can grill her about Yugen's fuckups... as soon as I can find where she lives.

How do I that?
- Ask one of Jo's actual friends?
- Break into the housing office?
- Use the internet Something else?

Try the internet. I'd be a little surprised if they put students' dorm numbers up on the school directory, but maybe that or maybe Wendy wrote it somewhere. Dunno, but it's a thing you can check quickly. You know google.com?

> Real live magic show
Seriously? You're going to FALL for that. YOU.

He's a ROGUE. Stage magic involves rogues using feats of dexterity and complex technology to create a simulation of magic. It's a popular competition, one that attracts all the suckers.

Of course, that just raises some worries. What if they've been subconsciously practicing the command gestures from their alternate universe selves without mana to trigger anything, and the portal's mana overflow might turn that funny-looking flourish into a working "Thermonuclear Soul Bomb" spell right in front of a live audience? If magic pours into this world, best case scenario involves every stage magician getting fired, worst case scenario involves magicians continuing to play not knowing they were always gesturing for an eldritch god to kill everyone and send them somewhere else.

> What do
Break into the housing office. Do what you do best, this is just an academy with a few security cameras. You got this.

>sleights
Sleights as in sleight-of-hand, as in palming the ball in a shell game in a way no one notices. Dude just put those skills to other more visually impressive uses. Most people aren't fooled into thinking he's working real magic, they just see it as enjoying a performance (like acting in a play).

>slap her awake
If the time thing does match up how we were told; whether you wake her up to ask her, or wait until near the end of the day, it won't make a difference on how fast the time will go in the other world. I say sit back and enjoy your time here til you get a response from Wendy. Maybe grab some food if you want.

> Break into the housing office?
Do you even know her full name? Files are sorted by last name most of the time here, and I'm sure there are multiple Wendys in the schools notes.

>Humans have some disgusting ideas about sex.
Well that's the thing about the internet. Everything is there. Including all the stuff you'd be disgusted and repulsed by, and somewhere, the stuff you'd actually enjoy. The trick is actually getting what you want.

The important thing there is that you don't consider yourself human. What do you call yourself?

>Jo thought magic was not real? Then what is this "real live magic show"?
Probably Jo longing to be able to pull off the stuff she dreamed you doing, or looking to see if any of the stage magicians of her world were doing anything she would recognize as real and not slight of hand.

>I've gotta learn some of this sometime.
Well I guess that tells us you didn't start out picking pockets, or you'd already know some of that.

>I'll just have to break into her house and slap her awake so I can grill her about Yugen's fuckups... as soon as I can find where she lives.
You're... not very good at getting people to cooperate with you, are you? Not the charming rogue archetype at all.

Threats and slapping aren't going to be necessary to gain her cooperation. She'll be sufficiently cowed by the thought of her getting swapped to your world and being helpless, or of evil cultists breaking into her peaceful little school.

>How do I that?
Your familiar is with her. Don't you have some kind of magic bond with him? Do you have a way to track or locate him over that connection?

If you do leave this room, I suggest raiding Jo's clothes so you blend with the natives better. You know there will still be students awake here, even at this hour. No one here wears a cape, or has pointed ears outside of television or conventions, or has 4 fingers.

Rikka 2016/10/22(Sat)20:02 No. 754797 ID: 18c950
File 147719174269.png - (4.97KB , 400x400 , 34.png )

I know what sleight-of-hand is, I just mostly thought of it as the tool of talentless mooks, yet that was some serious shit. And of course I didn't start out picking pockets. I started out the talented daughter of rich merchants, with a powerful magical mentor, attending a very expensive school of sorcery. Then my parents died and the tuition money dried up, so I skipped straight to the big time. And really, tell a girl to "use magic responsibly," teach her to teleport, then send her away from supervision because she can't afford it anymore... what did the headmaster expect to happen?

...hrmph. Anyway.

Rikka 2016/10/22(Sat)20:02 No. 754799 ID: 18c950
File 147719175735.png - (4.44KB , 400x400 , 35.png )

So I know Wendy's last name, it's "Green." And now I know how to spell it too, since it was at the bottom of the e-mail I replied to. And when I find her I'm not going to slap her to threaten her or anything... just so she stops being asleep. Y'know, a nice friendly slap. The time-honored backhand-across-the-face-because-we're-such-good-pals sort of slap. Yugen you twat I hate both of you.

Still need to find her somehow... right! The internet answers questions, too!

where wendy green sleeps?

...5 million results?! There is too much on the internet. I'm not getting anything done here, I'm just gonna go for it. Though I should dress less conspicuously first. This shirt's kind of big even on Jo, so with a belt it'll make a passable tunic or something. Cover ears, cover eyes...

...yeah this should be alright.

Rikka 2016/10/22(Sat)20:02 No. 754800 ID: 18c950
File 147719177393.png - (7.35KB , 400x400 , 36.png )

I'll just find the housing office and raid their records, I'm itching to break into someplace anyway...

...but I am actually getting pretty hungry, and there's this 24-hour dining hall. But there'll be people around...

...that's also a way to test my disguise. See if I can blend right into the middle of a crowd without anybody freaking out. This sounds... really fun. Yeah, my blood's burning now. Let's do this.

Stop worrying. You look like a run-of-the-mill nerd college student that nobody wants to walk up to and look for alien tells.

Just don't say you're a girl.

1. Case the housing office.
2. Buy everything you've never eaten. Start with mushroom pizza and some shaved ice.
3. Photograph everything on paper, steal anything plastic. Don't touch the computers, your hacking skill is - well, it's zero.

>hide the eyes
What's different about your eyes? It's hard to tell.

>Yugen you twat I hate both of you.
Oh come on, go easy on her. Would you want to be blamed for every dumb thing Jo has ever done?

Besides if you get her to let her guard down, you can get back at Yugen by seeing what else she lets slip about him.

>dining hall
You don't have Jo's dining pass do you? Or any money? That means you're going to have to steal the food. Or steal the cash / a pass off someone else. Magic should make that easy, though.

Rikka 2016/11/03(Thu)05:17 No. 756817 ID: 7d8168
File 147817543135.png - (5.14KB , 400x400 , 37.png )

Stealing food will be easy. The dining hall only expects you to pay or use your ID as you enter, while the food itself is unchecked. Additionally, it's light inside, dark outside, and there's a glass door, making it extraordinarily easy to spot when the guards are distracted. On top of that, said guards are students working part-time as salespersonnel, rather than actual security professionals. This place isn't designed with security in mind at all.

Pop.

"-on, Greg. If I keep letting this slide and you get caught, I get in trouble." "I'm not sleeping, I've just got my eyes closed."

Easy.

Rikka 2016/11/03(Thu)05:17 No. 756818 ID: 7d8168
File 147817546943.png - (16.91KB , 400x400 , 38.png )

Ok, so first priority: pizza. Or, just in general, anything with cheese.

Drinking the milk another animal feeds its young seems, well... strange, but understandable. Mixing it with vinegar and animal guts then waiting for it to spoil sounds insane. However, I'm here and this is probably my only chance to sample the local cuisine, so let's give it a try.

Jo really likes mushroom and olive pizza, so I'd probably try that, but it's the middle of the night and all they have is plain cheese, pepperoni, or some kind of vegan pizza which doesn't even have cheese, so what's the point? I'll take the spiced meats.

Ugh this is really greasy and gross, people eat this with their hands?

Rikka 2016/11/03(Thu)05:18 No. 756819 ID: 7d8168
File 147817550736.png - (10.05KB , 400x400 , 39.png )

...

I understand.

Rikka 2016/11/03(Thu)05:19 No. 756820 ID: 7d8168
File 147817557123.png - (7.38KB , 400x400 , 40.png )

I'm gonna grab another one of these. OK so next is ice cream. Or wait first I could use something to drink? Maybe I should try some soda. Or I could even try cow's milk, since cheese seems pretty good. Would that be too-

"I love those shoes. Where did you get them?"

What why is a stranger just walking up to me and asking me about my clothes? Wait doesn't Jo know this girl? Does she recognize me no that doesn't make sense why is this happening?

Ignore her. You don't know what's happening, so don't respond. Just focus on the food and she'll take a hint.

Go for the ice cream. Soda is bad for your bones, and ice cream has milk. Also, how does your world not have cows? They're big, dumb food banks that eat the world's most abundant and somewhat nutritionless food source. Not sure what you drink for milk.

>>756820
She likes your clothes so she is using it as a way to start a conversation. people do that, especially around colleges because everyone is a bit more adventurous at college.

Just say you got them at a thrift store or as a gift. Either thing makes sense without implying the presence of more. Which I suppose isn't that important but it's a bit rude to imply such when it isn't true.

Alternatively you could say "I've had them for years" which is probably actually true.

>more pizza
>ice cream
>and soda
You... might want to slow down a bit, there. Eating a lot of food you're not familiar with isn't great for your health at the best of times, and that's all junk food which can only make it worse. Plus, if you don't drink milk on your world, it's quite likely you're lactose intolerant. Maybe see if you can find something a bit closer to your regular diet.

Try some stir fry or grilled vegetables when you get a chance. You'd be amazed at what you can make when you have so many spices on hand. Wide varieties of fruits and veggies too.

>>756820
Use a plate. Also, use a fork or spoon for other stuff.
You could maybe say "I got them from a friend" if they are Jo's.

>>756820
>Wait doesn't Jo know this girl?
Who is she? If you're trying to get at Wendy then this girl might be able to give you a lead.

>Wait doesn't Jo know this girl?
I don't know, you're the one who's been watching her life in your dreams. All I can tell you is that's not Wendy or the girl she was walking to class with this morning.

>Does she recognize me no that doesn't make sense why is this happening?
Well, it's possible you're under some kind of glamour that makes you appear as Jo to others while you're swapped, but I don't think it's likely. At least, not unless people start addressing you as Jo.

I suppose it's possible that due to the nature of your dual soul that people who know or are close to Jo will be drawn to you, even if they don't realize why.

>What why is a stranger just walking up to me and asking me about my clothes?
This is a lot less dangerous environment than you're used to. And the students here assume you're one of them. This makes people a lot more comfortable just going up and talking to strangers.

Now why is she asking about clothes your clothes in particular? The simple, obvious reason is she covets them for herself. Since I assume you're wearing your own shoes (Jo's are likely too big for you) they are something this girl has never seen. Literally out of this world. For people who crave new and unique things, or want to stay abreast of the latest fashion, this stands out.

Possible lies / responses: (1) pick the name of a store you know from Jo's life. (2) Claim to have purchased them online. (The sheer size of the internet makes being unable to remember the exact place you found them easier to believe). You could even say you think they're foreign, which is mostly true. (3) Claim they were a gift from a friend, and you're not sure. Pleading fashion ignorance frees you from follow up details you can't provide.

2 or 3 is probably safest.

If there's a less overt reason? She might be scoping you out as a rival (you went to a private school, surely you're away of social circles and the way popular girls jockey for position and status with one another). She might be flirting with you. Still, it's most likely the obvious reason.

Rikka 2016/11/03(Thu)20:25 No. 756892 ID: 7d8168
File 147822992992.png - (8.76KB , 400x400 , 41.png )

I don't have time for this, how do I... um. I didn't hear you? ...no, she's right there. I... thought you were talking to someone else? ...there's no-one else near us. Faux pas are not good for social infiltration, so I guess I'd better just pick up the conversation.

"Yeve-" Shit! "...I got shoes... long years ago."

I just realized I've never spoken English before. I mean, I understand it just fine, but actually recalling the words I need is another thing entirely. Just typing I had time to think, but speaking I'm completely aware of how painfully long it takes me to construct a sentence.

The girl, who I remember now is named Cindy, says, "Oh." She lets just that word hang for a bit. My broken English apparently gave her some pause. "I haven't seen you around. Are you an exchange student? Just visiting?"

"Visiting." ...hopefully. Wait. "...student." Posing as a peer probably will make it easier to interact and potentially extract information. Aha! I'm short, I probably look younger than peer-aged, so to make requests for information more believable, "Potential student."

Her posture relaxes somewhat. "Cool. How are you liking the school? And... the country, I guess?"

I'm fairly certain now she was indeed sizing me up socially and came to a conclusion. Her behavior is entirely different from how she interacts with Jo... open and friendly, as opposed to ruthless and snarky. If you ask me, she's entirely boring in her current aspect. It's too bad; she was one of the few friend's of Jo's I thought I'd get along with.

I'm about to start my response when she continues, "Where are you from?"

...a dangerous question.

>>756892
Answer honestly. If she recognizes the name, then we've got another contact to exploit the dual souls thing with. If she doesn't, then it will arouse no suspicion.

>where are you from?
>>754797
>school of sorcery

Answer more-or-less honestly, but replace the word "magic" with "femtoengineering." Thus far you're pretty impressed with the pizza, but not so much with the professors. Aktar always said the resources available to study 'femtoengineering' were better here than in your native country, but so far you've just seen fancier equipment and teachers who don't know the fundamentals you learned in your early teens. You're starting to wonder if the U.S.'s supposed superiority is all smoke and mirrors.

>Her behavior is entirely different from how she interacts with Jo... open and friendly, as opposed to ruthless and snarky. If you ask me, she's entirely boring in her current aspect. It's too bad; she was one of the few friend's of Jo's I thought I'd get along with.
Snark's harder to convey across language barriers. If she thinks you're not good with English, she might be holding back.

Or she's holding back because she doesn't know you. Need a certain level of familiarity to reach the fun stuff. Of course, that would require you making the effort to talk with her for a bit. Might be good practice with the language, at least.

Soda machine! Pick the tea.

Rikka 2017/02/01(Wed)06:07 No. 776292 ID: 7d8168
File 148595807195.png - (12.42KB , 400x400 , 42.png )

Hm, feigning misunderstanding, I can answer with which school I came from, rather than the place. She's less likely to be upset by not having heard of a foreign school than a country or capital city... those seem to be fairly common knowledge here. "Jwisi Lugi Buefujo..."

No reaction aside from perhaps confusion.

So, let's translate, but... how do I translate "magic" that isn't just "magic"? "Ah... how say... Academy of..." Well, they are fundamental forces. "...Physics."

"Cool. Where is this-"

Wait, physics is generally the theoretical study, not the application, right? Cut her off to keep the subject away from location. "Application? Applied physics... Engineering? Yes?" Set my pizza on a plate, grab a cup. Let's try some- wait, that says tea. What's the tea here like?

"Probably? Don't ask me, it's your major."

Aha, I'm starting to detect a bit of the tone I was hoping for. Let's see if I can encourage her with some snark of my own. "Asked how am... I am liking the country? Disappointment. Engineering knowledge... very weak, very sad. Teachers not knowing things I learn as child."

Rikka 2017/02/01(Wed)06:09 No. 776295 ID: 7d8168
File 148595817240.png - (12.16KB , 400x400 , 44.png )

"Tea knowledge also very weak." Heh... Aktar won't like that.

"Honey, no-one should expect good tea from a soda machine."

Yes. A convenient mistake. "Did not expect tea from soda machine, good or not. Seems not." Expose vulnerability to fabricate camaraderie. "Mine name is Rikka. Yours?" I already know, but self-introductions go here.

"Cynthia, though you can call me Cindy."

"Pleased to meet you." Ah-ha, canned phrases are easy. Meeting... meet... "Strange question, you know Wendy Green?"

"...grad student, TA?"

Score. "Yes! Was going to... meeting. ...with her later." This late? Hm. "Tomorrow? But lost place. Do you know her... room?"

"Hm. She probably meant one of the study rooms in her department. Maybe her prof's office? I think chemistry's over in Oakley?"

"No, I meant-" Wait. Can I actually ask for Wendy's dorm room? Cindy's potentially a useful resource so I don't want to make her suspicious by getting excessively personal.

>Wait. Can I actually ask for Wendy's dorm room? Cindy's potentially a useful resource so I don't want to make her suspicious by getting excessively personal.
Giving a stranger the personal sleeping space of a friend is kind of sketchy. You might not want to push on that, even if it is frustrating to know she has the answer.

Maybe you could make like you wanted to meet in the common room of her dorm building, narrow it down that much. Still touchy though.

Might want to try work on building rapport for now.

Oh hey this isn't dead, yay.