video: un; apparition (characters 18+ please for the first portion)

[unphase]

[Tinya lounges back wearing a little black dress in her sunroom with her batkitten, her kittens, and her Omen, Moonlight sitting at attention on the armrest of her chair]

So! This may seem like an unusual request, but I'm looking for friends. Friends with benefits, actually. I know that may sound strange, but I miss being close to someone. All are invited to apply, if that makes sense. I want to know whom I'm dealing with before I say yes to anything.

[and a Mona Lisa smile] And is it strange to spend more than five years bouncing between worlds? Who else has been through this? [a teasing smile] You don't necessarily have to be auditioning for the first role to answer, I promise.

Comments

[onerthes]

I can only imagine. For me... I have only ever traveled to the one world, though I consider this world to be all one and a kind. I have a few friends who have dealt with multiples. It must be trying.

[unphase]

You don't have to. I'll tell you: it was awful. Start to finish, it was awful.

It can be. I worry about those left behind at home more than I do about those on the other world. By the time I'd left, I had maybe three friends. It was mentally exhausting. So I'll focus on those from home, who were only...mostly mentally exhausting.

[onerthes]

Your experience in that other world clearly has been much more trying than it is here. That... is unfortunate. [She grunted sourly.] Some of these strange worlds between worlds seem to be far more prone to making people distrust and hate each other.

I am... somewhat fortunate that I know everyone in my world is safe. We were in a time of peace and rebuilding, and the greatest threats are gone forever. It helps knowing they are safe.

[unphase]

Mm-hmm. Compared to the other world, this is a picnic. Even taking the recent instability into account. If I can fight back, I'm fine. If I'm given no other choice, I get angry. That world never gave me any other choice. It's exhausting to be angry all the time.

[softly, as in wonderment] It would have to be such a relief to you.

[onerthes]

And there is, without question, a way to fight back here. It's messy. It's imperfect. We lose some of the time? but we can fight back.

...

Less of a relief, as I've always known, but it's helped me to have a different perspective.