A Rift Between Two Worlds

"Hello," Ocellus repeats again, "I hope you're okay. You're just... standing there."

I can tell she's a bit unnerved at me staring at her, so I turn to face her head on. She steps back a little, so I assume that I'm a little too close for comfort.

She stares up at me some more. I remember my mom always telling me to speak when I meet someone and not just stand there like a socially awkward spaz. I blink rapidly to adjust to the changeling's bright colors, then open my mouth and say, "My apologies."

My voice is deep and soft, and somehow, even when I hear it on my own I'm able to be at peace. Just a little. Ten minutes with this new body and I'm already gravitating toward it.

I see Ocellus arch a brow, tilting her head to the side. "It's okay. I just saw you laying here in the courtyard, and, well, everyone was starting to freak out."

So, now, I know that I've been lying here for a few. Again, I'm really disoriented, so it's going to be hard to keep myself together. Still, that doesn't give me the right to be rude, or freak out. Instead, I'll try my best to explain my current situation. I sigh, pivoting my hooves to start pacing back and forth. I'm decent at thinking on my feet, but it's definitely better to keep my mind running. "There's only two words to explain this without breaking down: I'm lost. I have no idea how I got here, but whatever way it happened, I know I don't belong."

"...D-Did you hit your head, or something?"

Yeah, I know. I sound completely crazy by the way this creature is phrasing it.

I understand her confusion, so I turn around one last time to face her head on. She has a small frown on her face, and already my expression is matching her's. "It feels like it. All I know is that I'm completely different from the way I was before."

"It feels like you're insane."

Okay, now I'm frustrated.

I furl my brow to match my expression with how I'm feeling. My eyes turn glowering with a scorching glare down at Ocellus. She stares back at me, her brow furling nearly in time with mine. I'm extra annoyed with her right now, but I know it's no use trying to yell at someone I've barely socialized with yet.

I can tell how she's feeling, too. Probably just as frustrated and annoyed with me as I am with her.

We stare at each other longer than I would be comfortable with, but I don't say a word. Neither does she. We glare off into each other's eyes for much longer as we battle with fierce telepathy.

Then, her look softens. She sighs, "I'm sorry. I'm not usually this... glare-y."

My expression fades as well, and I begin to regret the icy glare I was shooting her before. I watch as she bows her head forward, looking up at me, still. "My name is Ocellus," she continues with a small smile, bringing her head back up. "And I thought I was the only changeling here."

For a time, I look uncertain.

"...changeling?"

I realize I sound a bit stupid repeating her. If there's one alternate personality I put on, it's a changeling. I mean, what's the one creature facade I tend to hide behind?

True, the one changeling character I've created for myself is, well, the only one. It's accurate to the way I'm feeling, or the pain I'm experiencing. Still, I haven't coherently worked out his design, so my final thoughts may have worked themselves out for me.

My changeling persona has three dark grey-into white horns; two on the sides of his head, and one in the front. He has a black carapace with three of those white gemstone-like things in the front that I can never get the name of.

The rest of his chitin is a light grey as well, but his wings contrast with a dimmed, midnight blue. His elytra are blackish blue in the like, and he has a curly, sparkly gossamer mane with the same color. The places where his mane's supposed to be on the sides of his head are shaved, but the rest of his mane in the back is pulled up into a man bun.

I make a face.

Yes, a man bun. It's a nice style, okay?

Still, I realize that it's what I must look like, and there's only one name I have for this persona. I know him well, since I've been designing him for weeks.

I am him, and he is me.

My name is Oculus.

Now that I've grown to adapt more into this new identity, I can now identify... better with it. Like I'm being a better me. I'm shaping into some sort of new mold I've been placed in.

I like this new mold.

"Yeah," I say, finished sparking my inner creator. I look down at Ocellus with my compound eyes. "I thought you were, too."

She looks even more weirded out than ever before, like- like I'm some sort of alien creature in a crowd of normal people. Well, in this case, it feels entirely the opposite. She smiles kindly on the contrary to her previous expression. "Whoever you are, or, wherever you came from, I hope I can help you feel at least somewhat normal, even if I may not understand your current situation."

I nod, my lips replicating her smile. "My name's Oculus."

Immediately, she freezes, looking puzzled as ever as she puts a hoof to her chin. "That's pretty peculiar. That name sounds oddly similar to mine," she giggles, completely offsetting the mood she was almost setting.

I only chuckle and pretend as if I didn't chose that name myself. On purpose.

Already, I'm feeling more comfortable in this place, too. There seems to be one person that's already beginning to understand me.

"It's Saturday, so school's out for the weekend. After I'm done hanging out with my friends, you can talk to me about what's going on with you."

That sounds like something I can agree with, so I nod again. After all, Ocellus seems to be the only one I feel like talking to. I never counted on how much of an introvert I actually am, so I guess I really wouldn't feel like talking to anyone else right now.

"Great," she chirps. "I'll make sure to save you some chamomile tea."