New York Hospitality: It's an Oxymoron

[off_the_air]

A pale-skinned woman in a beige military outfit powerwalks her way through the Forum, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed. Her eyes shift left to right suspiciously as she passes people – and creatures she certainly wouldn’t classify as ‘people’ – mingling in public.

”Make friends!” she scoffs and throws her hands up. “You don’t just make friends with strangers, that’s ridiculous.”

Her expression softens as she crosses her arms once more. It's not from a sudden enlightenment, but rather an acute sense of helplessness. Her shoulders go slack and a heavy sigh escapes her.

“…Almost as ridiculous as talking to yourself.”

She crumples onto a bench and rests her chin in one hand.

“New Yorkers don’t need to make friends. We’re self-reliant." And there's the 'self-justification' stage of first-time interdimensional travel. "And ‘friends’ implies long-lasting relationships, which implies being here is long-lasting. Besides, strangers aren’t friendly anyway. You don’t just ‘make friends’ with strangers. What would that even look like? It's… Ridiculous…”

She glances around the Forum with a worried look.

“… Right?”