Slightly backdated.

[talkyourwayout]

[It's early in the morning when a new post on the BBS goes up.]

Guys, it's Louie. I want to see if anyone else knows anything about this. I mean, the weirdest thing happened last night.

I think I went home. Not just for a night, either. I mean, maybe it was some kind of dream, but it felt so real, and I had a weird dream that was definitely a dream. I think. I don't know! That felt pretty real, too.

Has something like this happened to anyone else?

Comments

[goingbythebook]

[His note back was simple, and almost immediate.]

Is everything okay?

[talkyourwayout]

[He can do this. He needs to do this. He was furious at Dewey for not doing this, and yet... Faced with the reality of telling Huey about their mom being alive; being home again- Internally, he freaks out. It's just too much responsibility on him.]

Yeah. The dream part was pretty freaky, but it was a dream, you know? I'm sure it's not a big deal.

[goingbythebook]

[The delay in reply is a big sign that he's unsure of how to proceed, period.]

Are you sure? I know upsetting dreams can be a pretty big deal, for you and anyone else.

If you need to talk about it, I'm here.

[Can't you just hear Big Brother Huey saying that, Louie?]

[talkyourwayout]

Look, you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine, you can come see for yourself if you need to.

[Which, of course, is how Louie says 'please come find me'.]

[goingbythebook]

On my way. Where are you, the dorm?

[It's very hard to wait for a response to that and not take off running, to leave a response having to be familiar-delivered. C'mon Huey this was important, it can take a few seconds.]

[talkyourwayout]

Yeah.

[Huey may be a nerd, but almost always can read the lines between what Louie's saying. It's nice.]

[goingbythebook]

I'll be there soon.

[And he indeed was, after hurrying as quickly as his little legs could carry him. Though their houses were opposing each other, enough had felt Huey's temper by now that he was given a free path to wherever Louie was, one student even helpfully pointing him that way.

As soon as he first spotted him he hurried over, raising a hand.]

Louie, I'm here!

[talkyourwayout]

[Louie smiled at Huey, but only briefly, before letting out a sigh and looking down. He just couldn't tell him about their mother... It was somehow even harder in person.

Fortunately - in a sense - there was something else to talk about.]

Huey, does the Junior Woodchuck Guidebook have anything about being trapped in magical worlds?

[goingbythebook]

[He tilted his head a bit, lightly confused at this direction. He didn't even have to take out the Guidebook to answer though.]

Just what I've added about the Druidic golf realm, Demogorgana, and here.

Why?

[talkyourwayout]

Because I think we're... The equivalent of trapped in the dime, like Magica was. But this place is the dime, or something. I don't know, all I know is that I didn't remember anything here while I was back home. Like Anastara isn't even real, you know?

[goingbythebook]

Weellll...

[This time he really did get out the Guidebook, but only so he could check his own notes, especially since Louie just dropped the Dime.]

I certainly haven't ruled out the possibility of our souls having been transported somewhere else, but I'd have to figure out a way to go home to be sure, and so far Sundering research hasn't really figured that out yet.

[talkyourwayout]

Yeah, it hasn't, has it? And that's another part of it. How do we know they're even really trying to get us back home?

[goingbythebook]

[He hesitated, not liking this answer but not knowing how to dodge it, either.]

We don't.

[talkyourwayout]

Right, exactly.

I don't think they are.

[goingbythebook]

So, what do you propose we do? Double down on Sundering research? Do our own? Form an anti-research team task force?

[Note he said all these completely unironically.]

[talkyourwayout]

What? No. We can't do anything about it. We're just kids who are still learning magic. I mean, we can be careful, but other than that...

[goingbythebook]

Learn magic? [He blinked, then LIT UP] Learn magic! Louie, of course!

We can get better at magic, get better at Sundering ourselves, and then take care of our own destiny! [He laughed.] That's a great idea!

[talkyourwayout]

That's... Not what I said at all, Huey. Don't do that, it's a bad idea.

[goingbythebook]

It's a great idea! We're here to learn magic anyway, right? And Sundering is now a class that's offered. Sundering is what brought us here, it all fits together!

[talkyourwayout]

No, no, it's not great at all. This is going to end so badly; why aren't you hearing me?