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[awesmazings]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, CHARACTER NAME/ALIAS. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 018.07.154.55 *** JIMMY TWO-SHOES has joined 018.07.154.55 <TWO-SHOES> blake wuz here chis a nerd <TWO-SHOES> First sentence of message. <TWO-SHOES> First sentence of message.

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[toothaches]

Maurice opened his mouth to further his argument, but Jimmy spoke good common sense. Maurice sighed and nodded, falling into step again after the gangly manticore. In fact, he kept his mouth shut until they stopped at a Designated Forgetting Establishment because boy howdy did he want to forget today.

"If I pass out in this world maybe I'll wake back up in my own."

[awesmazings]

Hopefully Maurice has an idea of what he wants, because Jimmy's quite too young to drink. Not that a lot of people in this town care about that too much, but Jimmy doesn't really go into bars much anyway. It's open to the street, so Jimmy is perfectly content with jumping up into a tree just by the entrance so he can still talk to Maurice when he goes inside.

"That'd be pretty cool if you did, wouldn't it?"

[toothaches]

Maurice paused with his foot in the door to look up at Jimmy.

"...Yeah. It would."

The tiniest edge had appeared in his voice. He didn't come out for several minutes because the bar owner had to count out his bullshit Otherworld money and deem it convertible. Eventually, Maurice came back out with two simple brown bottles in his hands and sat down at the base of the tree.

He struggled with the cap, kicking himself for not utilizing the bottle opener afixed to the end of the counter inside but eventually managed to pry it off, winning himself a cut on one hand.

"But you don't bleed in dreams..." Maurice murmured as he watched the red seep into the creases of his palm. It was warm. He was alive. "How long have you been here?"

[awesmazings]

Jimmy watches Maurice silently, his tail flicking from side to side as he flops down on his front across the branch.

"Umm...s'been a couple months. I kinda lost track when I started changing."

He feels a little bad about that, actually...and he wonders how his friends are doing back home.

[toothaches]

After staring at his cut a little longer he finally wiped his hand off on his shirt and brought the bottle to his lips. Months. Thaaaat didn't sound good.

"If you wasn't brought here in a box, how'd you get here? I mean...we both speak English so are we in Europe or what?"

[awesmazings]

Jimmy shakes his head, resting his head atop his paws.

"Well...I was underground when I woke up here. A bunch of us were trapped with a lot of bones n'junk. It took three days for other people to get us out. I'm not from Europe, or Japan, or Earth I guess. I'm from Miseryville."

[toothaches]

Maurice tipped his head back so that he could look up at Jimmy. For a little while, he didn't say anything. And then he said,

"It's okay, dude, you can say New Jersey. I won't judge you."

I made the worst noise

[awesmazings]

Jimmy's ears perk, and he blinks slowly a time or two.

"What's New Jersey?"

[toothaches]

Maurice's expression blanked like a broken window.

"You know what? Nevermind. Thanks for leadin' a horse to water."

He slumped against the tree and drained the bottle in one desperate gulp before prying open the other one. The ex-pire was good and quiet after that for a good while--almost long enough to suggest that he was done with this interaction. But finally he piped up again, not drunk but buzzed enough to stop worrying for the moment. He was alive. His soul, as far as he knew, was whole again. And, on top of that, he'd made a buddy!

"What should I do...?"

[awesmazings]

One of Jimmy's ears flicks forward when Maurice talks again. He'd been starting to doze a little in that tree up there, and now he peers down at Maurice again with a small frown.

"...ya think you'll be okay finding someplace to stay? That was kindof a problem I had when I got here...I was moving around a lot for a while."

[toothaches]

Maurice tensed up again.

"Aw hell..." He just spent every penny he brought with him on the two beers. With a groan, he dragged a hand down his face. He wasn't going to be able to afford any kind of hotel...he didn't even have anything to give a random kindly soul. "If...if people like you and me showing up are kinda...kinda a thing, are folks willin to take yardwork for rent?"

[awesmazings]

"There's plenty of people here in Bavan that probably wouldn't mind! They like monsters here." He can't promise Maurice will be able to stay once he's started changing, but...he's got a good few weeks before that starts happening.

[toothaches]

"Oh. Huh. Okay, cool, cool. And thanks again for, I don't know...keeping me from running into traffic or something. It's been a long day."

Maurice rubbed his face again. He'd go poking around for a flophouse later that afternoon.

"If they like monsters here...is there somewhere they don't like monsters?"

[awesmazings]

Jimmy rolls over to lay on his back on the branch, mulling over that.

"I haven't been there a whole ton, but people tell me to watch out for Vandare. It's not as...safe, I guess? I think I'd be alright since I'm faster than any human wanting to do somethin'."