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
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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
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"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.