prismatica | [Anonymous]

Tsukumogami, or something close to it. Again: the explanation was long and useless.

[ this reply takes longer because that meant nothing to him, so he went searching online and found... very little to help. He has, however, concluded it's something from the islands of Japan. ]

Not a term I know, but if I'm trusting what the internet says (I'm not sure I do) it seems like you'd need to be a spirit of a tool? Given physical form, which is... your original form.

[ Too weird! He doesn't get it! (Go meet the swords, Shen Qingqiu, you'll at least understand it a bit better.) ]

Yes, exactly.

[The swords would at least be more helpful than Atsushi.]

What tool were you... from?

[ The swords are also cool but he will wonder why they're all... Japanese... he wants to know why he's meeting so many people from Japan in Neon Space City and there will never be an answer ]

A book we wrote. Nothing else would be appropriate.

[ Airplane Bro, looks like you're not the only author dealing with transmigrating related to your written work... ]

More convenient than transmigrating into the novel, transmigrating from the novel.

What was it about, out of curiosity?

No. I have to at least try to keep my anonymity.

[Yes, this is where he draws the line: not the parts about being a dead author who died in that specific year and was brought back with alchemy, but the part where someone might have read his book.

To be fair, it is required reading in some schools.]

[ And the rest of the stuff was anonymous enough?! Just how well known is this guy supposed to be?! Too bad he has no access to Baidu: nothing here is going to help with searching up information anyway. No, scratch that, VPN to another search engine!

Same trouble, however: what he doesn't know he doesn't know, and he's... less curious about figuring out who this man is than what the content of the novel might have been. Since that's not getting volunteered, he leaves well enough alone. Okay, okay! Aggressive side of transmigrated author's personalities! He won't press! ]

Understandable.

[ From one Anonymous Bro to another, he does get it. ]

What are you both making of this second transmigration?

[Sometimes, when people are required to read your stuff, you assume that people have read your stuff perhaps. Especially Japanese high schoolers, of whom there are at least a few here.

Maybe a copy of Atsushi's work will appear in the library someday. That's what bonus points are for.]

He's making friends, so it's not terrible.

[Aggressive author's personality has very simple priorities: stabbing and making sure his other self is alright.]

[ Meanwhile Shen Qingqiu bets his life on no one being from modern China with the same shitty reading tastes he had, or else things would be really awkward, really fast.

And there are indeed quite a few Japanese citizens here... it does, however, incline him to believe that it's a book potentially read by people from Japan, enough that it's identifiable, and likely covered in some level of compulsory schooling. Which tells him little enough about contents, but a bit more about context! (He would read that book so fast if it did.)

Meanwhile, it's sweet that half of himself is so concerned about the other half of himself. Or disturbing. He has no idea what to make of such significantly split personalities. Self-care is important? So that's good? Probably?! ]

May he continue to have good success with forming those bonds of friendship. Likewise for you... or at minimum, having his consent to getting times where you get to practice your own preferred form of bonding as well.

[ Fighters want to fight. Liu-shidi has always been an excellent indication of this, along with the rabble called disciples of Bai Zhan Peak. ]

[Sometimes, self-care is restraining yourself from punching idiots because your split personality likes them.]

I'm not the kind of person who has friends. But you can keep wishing him well.

[He appreciates it, not that he'll ever say something like that.]

[ You're the SAME PERSON, YOU HAVE FRIENDS you're just the awkward half about the fact you have friends, because, quite probably and not without cause, people may have a preferred personality. Or something. He's so glad this is not something he has to worry about. Luo Binghe has... had mood swings, but it's not the same.

This is such a headache. Bless you, Anonymous Bro, for managing to keep yourself together enough to try and entertain yourself while the rest of yourself has control of yourself. ]

Right, right, but I don't think anyone who says their his friend would say they're not yours, too. You don't need to feel close to them for you to share the same interest in your other half.

Just saying, just saying! I'll continue to wish you well.

Most of them don't know I exist.

[Again, because his other half prefers to keep it a secret. There are a few people who know, but Ranpo isn't friend to either of them, Kenji just likes everyone, and that third Atsushi...

Well, everyone has one exception. It might as well be for someone who shares your name but not your body.]

But if you want to continue on that line of thought, I won't stop you.

[ ... but still! They're not going to hate you, Hidden Anonymous Bro! People like their friends, even when they have odd, hidden, aggressive sides looking to stay entertained riding along with the rest of their personality! ]

Very gracious of you.

[ There's no smiling face, thus it's being fairly sincere. At least according to some Chinese net lingo... ]

If you end up feeling inspired while you're still in control, feel free to leave a note for the rest of you that at least one Anonymous Bro on the network finds you an admirable enough person.

[ a.k.a. the whole? is admirable? but he's not even going to pretend he can keep rationalising this. There's some trace of familiarity with Liu-shidi, only frankly, Hidden Anonymous Bro is more patient than Liu-shidi.

Then again, he's also more restrained.

Also, Liu-shidi is the kind of person who would still insist on fighting as a resolution to every situation even if it was, patently, not the resolution to every situation.

... Why the hell is he reminded of Liu-shidi again?! ]

Seeking alternate answers to a difficult situation, a willingness to learn new activities, patience in asking, restraint in acknowledging the wishes of the rest of you. Not everyone treats themselves so well.

[ Or the people they care about most... ]

Your standards are too low.

[Read: those are some of the nicer things anyone's said about him, specifically, and he's embarrassed.]

Do you go around complimenting everyone like this?

[ Hidden Anonymous Bro... you're both not wrong and not right! He has standards! Based on actions, and sometimes words! ]

As I work neither in politics nor the service industry, no.

[ Thus alluding to it being a genuine compliment if he feels compelled to giving one in the first place. ]

Good. I hate politicians.

[Inner Atsushi hates a lot of people, but especially people who upset his other half. Outer Atsushi, diplomatic as he is, holds a dislike for people who make life more difficult for others just to achieve their own agenda.

So, congratulations, you're not in one group of people that Atsushi especially hates. It's not the same as saying he likes you in the least, but it's something.]

[ It's hysterical since he's technically a leader in a political arena....... who is not in any way a politician. Jazz hands! That's what a Sect Head is for! Peak Lords just keep order on their peaks and try not to harm the face of the sect! ]

They're not easy to like. I have little love for them myself. Let's hope we won't end up needing any on our side the longer we're on this world.

[So a civil servant, or something like that? Not quite as bad as politicians.]

If we have to have one, you have to talk to them. I don't talk to anyone I don't want to.

[And that's not a huge number of people.]

[ Hidden Anonymous Bro, why are you electing him to talk with their theoretical civil servant?! ]

You really believe I'd be qualified?

[ Shen Qingqiu, you're legitimately overqualified, you laid back nerd. ]