Rialynn winced at the sudden punch, but with Santa leaping into action immediately, the situation seemed a lot calmer. Duster was a reasonable sort of guy, she didn't doubt that he'd be able to listen to what his other self had to say.

But it sure was being cryptic about what it wanted. It was tempting to puzzle it out aloud...however, it might be inappropriate to start making guesses for fear of embarrassing her friend. As far as she could tell, his shadow was simply telling him to be more assertive and direct with his feelings and problems. He did seem pretty shy about taking the spotlight, that was for sure.

She hugged her elbows and pressed her lips into a tight line, looking at the bard. Her expression softened, and Rialynn chanced a little smile just to show her silent support. He could do this. If she tried to intervene and solve the problem for him, wouldn't that just anger his shadow?