text (un: natsume.t)

[mingling]

It's a little weird, right?

Comments

text; user: katsuki

[yokunaru]

Depends on what you mean. What's weird?

[mingling]

Well

[Where to begin.]

It's not what I expected

[yokunaru]

[There's been an influx of new arrivals, from what Yuuri's seen, so he makes an educated guess.]

The city? I'm guessing you just came through the portal.

[mingling]

Yeah
But a lot of people have come through, right? That's what they said. And that's what it looks like, too.

[yokunaru]

That's right. From what I know, everyone who's here in the city right now came through the portal pretty recently.

[mingling]

So it is a lot
That's not what I expected at all

[yokunaru]

I guess it would be surprising how many people have been pulled through. The portal's been pretty busy.

You get used to groups of new people showing up after you've been here a while, though.

[mingling]

[There are a few specific reasons as to why he finds it so weird, but... notably...]

Doesn't it mean that that many people didn't want to be where they were?

[Of course, he feels awkward about asking it immediately, to the point of regret.]

No, I mean
The way they explained it

[yokunaru]

[Ah, so that's what's bothering him. Not too surprising.]

It does. When I asked the people leading the orientation, they said the portal seems to sense when someone feels like they don't belong somewhere or they need a new home. That's how we all ended up here.

Not sure if you've heard yet, but there's a way to return home if you think the portal was wrong.

[mingling]

[It's not that Natsume doesn't want to go home—being away from it makes his nerves feel frost-bitten—but feeling like he belongs there is... a markedly different story.

And who is he to say when a mistake like that has been made?]

So what if someone doesn't belong here, either?

[yokunaru]

I'm not sure... I've been trying to do some research on this portal when I can, but a lot of it's really confusing.

I haven't heard of anyone being sent to another universe if they don't like it here either, though.

[mingling]

["Liking it" vs. "belonging"... It's unsettling in a familiar way, at least to Natsume. Regardless,]

I didn't really believe in this sort of thing before.

[yokunaru]

I didn't really either.

The world I came from didn't have magic or portals or anything like this, except in books and movies. It was a huge shock at first.

[mingling]

Do the people here come from a lot of different places?
Worlds, I mean

["Places" feels... easier to use?]

[yokunaru]

I think so. I've heard a lot about other worlds since I got here.

Sometimes people from the same world can end up here together, too.

[mingling]

I see. I don't know what that must be like.

I hope I don't see anyone from home here.

[yokunaru]

You could always ask around. Most people here seem willing to talk about where they came from.

Why not?

[mingling]

That sounds nice. [Meaning, he doesn't intend to ask or pry.]

If I saw them here, it would mean they didn't think they belonged at home, either. It's good for them to be where they are.

[yokunaru]

[This Yuuri can understand in a way.]

You have a point. I hope your friends are doing well back in your world.

[mingling]

Probably
So it's good

We'll just do things the way they are now

[yokunaru]

Taking things as they come is probably the best way to get used to being here.

Was there anything else you wanted to know about this place?

[mingling]

[Natsume is trying to piece together a coherent, meaningful question, but all he really has running through his mind is an AAARRRGGHHH of frustration.

...]

What's the most useful thing you learned about it?