Mᴏɴɪᴋᴀ.ᴄʜʀ

Stretch, stretch. . .

Budget hibernation mode is always a nightmare to recover from.

Stretch, stretch. . .

Budget hibernation mode is always a nightmare to recover from.

"Gosh. So vulgar. Getting censored, didn't know you were such a pervert..."

She's kidding, of course, and who even knows if the Cosplayer noticed the noise.
Being in a game world is sooo out of her loop anyway.

"See, this is what I mean, instead of just taking my words at face value, you're trying to be funny..."

The cosplayer's text boxes are going to get filled with Noise, because well. It's harmless damage.

"I'm just telling my honest truth.

It's everyone not listening that makes things unsafe... So being on *my* side is safe."

Totally.

"Never's pretty definite, you know.

I'd say things are pretty safe, with me..."

...School is cancelled for today (by a sudden calendar shift + snow combo).

It's hard to 'come back' when she realizes that it's like she didn't leave.

#モニカ Monika’s Epiphany - roguedonoのイラスト - pixiv

www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/...

...School is cancelled for today (by a sudden calendar shift + snow combo).

It's hard to 'come back' when she realizes that it's like she didn't leave.

"Obviously not... You're the one basically jumping to steal stuff from an innocent girl. Think that makes YOU the cave pervert!"

She's just kind of assuming bandit mentality here... again, RPG stuff is SO not her norm.

Her stat sheet would probably be... bizarre, because of that. Hm.

Whether it's willingly or not, the sheet is taken from her hands pretty easily...

"Oh, no reason... I was just trying to figure it out, that's all."

The woman definitely seems a LOT less... intelligent, going off of her speech. Definitely demoted to your stereotype bandit, in her eyes.

+ really only buffing somebody who clearly would harm her... not the smartest move?
Especially if that rarer item got snatched.

It's not even a little imposing... Maybe because she knows the 'behind the scenes' stuff, maybe not.

She won't even hide the fact she'll help Becca bulk up. Low INT usually meant high STR, so... pretty easy fix.

"Mmm. Sorry, no thanks. I like my stuff, unfortunately for you."

Though she's +

Interesting~! Honestly, she hadn't really planned on removing it, she was just... talking. Is just holding the sheet enough to cause things to go on? Interesting-.

"You can try, but something tells me it wouldn't go well... either way, I'm not the exploring type."

This was just a whim for her.

"Beats me. Could be a day. Could be a week."

There's a small shrug, as she starts pacing... It isn't as if she likes being stuck as the shorty, either, y'know.
...But she invited this on herself, and keeps insisting on having fun, so. Good payback opportunity maybe.

+ pen-twirling that she starts to do.

"I'm just saying you're stuck that way for a little bit. So maybe stop screaming and panicking, and just... have fun? You don't NEED to stress out nonstop."

"It's NOT fake. You could walk out there, right now, and be me. Wouldn't have to see me again.

Nobody said you had to lie to yourself - it's just a break from what you're stressing about."

...A little heart-tipped pen literally manifests in her hand. Now she isn't even hiding it, evident by the +

+ to get back to some loner lifestyle."

She's picking at a nail now... All the fun got sucked out like a vacuum.

"...No, because obviously, you deserve to deal with this for a bit. Also I can't."

She drops the act instantly, but still keeps her composure. People screaming like that? Pretty on brand stuff.

"At least for a bit. This stuff is really taxing, you know? So I'd just enjoy it, instead of fighting +

Blink blink. She really wasn't expecting to get found out... but she'll still act like things are normal, anyway.

"Now you're talking to *yourself,* too... Geez. That fever's clearly still going."

Just take the bait... she's running out of options, and does NOT want to have to explain herself.

...Nope. Just *willing* it to happen won't change much; if only because she doesn't totally grasp how to do this stuff.

So when she opens those eyes, she's... still taller than the other girl in the room.

"...Look, let's just take this chance and hang out for once. You clearly need it."

"Uh... Of course it is? Again, I'm not going to lie over something stupid..."

She just sighs. Unwavering confidence from her side, too. But obviously, a dream Natsuki wouldn't think its fake, right? Because this is totally a dream. Has to be!

At least it means Natsuki would wake up, 0 consequence.

"Why would I lie about something stupid like that? Obviously I had to live nearby to get here so fast!"

There's really no other explanation for it... not without shattering the concept of reality, but unless Natsuki wants to *really* know Monika's problems?
May want to leave that alone.

"It's because you don't visit... If you tried to hang out, maybe you'd remember.
...I had to actually check your Location to know where to go, aha..."

That part's a total lie. Obviously Moni knew where she lived... but Natsuki wouldn't, so she had to go with that.

"You live close by... I was worried, so I didn't exactly go slow. Why's that the first thing you think of?!"

She isn't seeing it as piecing it together, but instead questioning the weirdness of the second part of the scene... which is Monika showing up. It's fine, she'll counter the best she can.

Physically? It definitely is. From just looking at the two, nobody'd be capable of spotting a difference...
It's the rest that, doesn't add up.
...Or maybe she's wrong! Natsuki does have literal power in her hands now. Courtesy of a borrowed face~.

"Just, rest, okay? Stressing me out, hard..."

Dangerous line of thinking... If she realizes Monika can do stuff like that, it'd be potentially problematic. If it got to her head.

...But for now, the pinkette's coming back with a bottle of water, as she said she would.

"C'mon, drink up. I'm going *nowhere* until you can move around fine."

+ the more Natsuki is likely convinced she's actually Monika. And that idea is just funny, to the real brunette.

"Geez. About time you led down... I'll getcha some water or something. Just, stop moving around."

Why is that headache of her's so bad? Genuinely making Monika wonder, now...
But she'll play caretaker; fine. At least until Natsuki can actually *talk.*

...Besides, the longer this goes on, +

"Look, just. Don't worry about it, 'kay? Enjoy being Miss Perfect and stop trying to argue you AREN'T you."

She always pegged Natsuki as the jealous type... so it's the version she's giving across.
Accurate or not, in a scenario like this, figuring out what's right and wrong is hard.