Probably after every illusion thread you wanted to do

[senpaidol]

[Rise appears on the Psychic Network. Actually appears, wearing a nice green dress she thought up for herself to fit in with the Balconies, because she learned Image Projection without really realizing it.]

Guys. I--oh hey you can actually see me, can't you? That's new.

[She stands up a little straighter and focuses on being serious.]

Public service announcement: there's something happening that's causing people to see each other as different people. It's already started a couple of fights, and one person sounds like she got seriously hurt, so if someone is acting weird or insulting or if you see someone scary, please make sure it's not just an illusion. I've seen this kinda thing happen before and it's really dangerous, so please be extra careful before you consider doing anything that might hurt another Traveler. When in doubt right now, assume the person you're seeing isn't the person who's really there, okay?

[She bows to the "camera".]

Please. Stay safe, guys.

Oh, and if someone out there's doing this on purpose...you should've learned from the last guys and kidnapped me first.

[She signs off with a wink.]

Comments

[fridgeninja]

Nazo-senpai. And Sayoko-san.

[senpaidol]

Er. Nazo-senpai?

[She isn't 100% sure who either of those people are, but presumably a -senpai is someone she should know.]

[fridgeninja]

He was a third-year at our school. We were friends.

[senpaidol]

I really wasn't great at meeting everybody there...then again I was only there for like nine months.

What happened with their illusions, then?

[fridgeninja]

Mm.

Mostly, I was embarrassed...

[senpaidol]

I can see how that would happen. You were close to both of them, then?

[fridgeninja]

... Yes.

[senpaidol]

[...reversing their usual roles is hard. Rise's starting to appreciate just how much she talks versus how little he does.]

I'm guessing you said some things you wouldn't normally have to random Travelers, huh?

[fridgeninja]

Ah... that's right. I'm sure they didn't know what to make of it, and it wasn't too embarrassing to talk to my senpai, but... Sayoko-san...

[senpaidol]

Is this gonna be a fun embarrassing story or a sad embarrassing story?

[fridgeninja]

I asked Jean not to take my temperature.

[senpaidol]

That...doesn't seem so bad. Why don't you start from the beginning...?

[fridgeninja]

Well... Sayoko-san and I...

She used to say that as sort of a pun.

[senpaidol]

......

Senpai, is Sayoko-san an ex-girlfriend?

[fridgeninja]

It wasn't ever as formal as that.

[senpaidol]

Oh.

Yeah. That's a pretty awkward thing to see Jean-san as...

[fridgeninja]

Very awkward.

[senpaidol]

D'you want to talk about Sayoko-san, or is that too much prying from a girlfriend? I'm okay with it if you are.

[fridgeninja]

I'm not used to talking about her. It's a little awkward. But... she's not something I want to keep secret from you, either.

She was a nurse at the hospital.

[senpaidol]

Man, you guys and nurses...wait, though, so she was an adult? That's uh...not right. On her part, I mean.

[fridgeninja]

It was... complicated.

My work at the hospital was very educational.

[senpaidol]

Haha, well, it does explain a lot...or explain it better than experimenting does.

Are you...I mean, are you okay with all that, though?

[fridgeninja]

If I had to go back and do things again, it's not exactly what I would have picked. But it was interesting, and exciting, and we got to know each other pretty quickly. She was a good person. Just confused about some things.

[senpaidol]

Ha...well, I'm glad it turned out okay, at least. And here I thought my first relationship was as unexpected as it could get...

[fridgeninja]

I think no matter how you start, it's always going to be unexpected...