Heart to Snart

## Premise

Snalien and Larry are taking a short jaunt to the library. Sure hope nothing happens to them while they’re there. Maybe they'll just borrow books and won’t talk about their feelings and get sent to the library dungeon for being too loud. That would be terrible.

## Cast

* Snailcomicz as Snalien

* Yuni as Larry Samuel

## Plot Summary

Larry Samuel and Snalien are at the library together as it is one of the places that Snalien enjoys going and she is excited to show Larry around. After introducing him to all of the librarians they're looking through the gag section (near where a star-headed library patron is sitting) when Snalien not so subtly tries to get Larry to show her what's under his mask.

Larry clues into this immediately (as this is not Snalien's first attempt at this) and shuts her down. This leaves Snalien complaining about why he won't to which Larry asks why she needs to know. Snalien just really, really wants to know and continues to try and get him to show her by saying that they're friends and they should trust each other. This makes Larry angry and he asks if seeing what he looks like is the only thing that matters to her and that getting to know each other isn't enough to show that they are friends. Snalien says of course not but she hardly knows anything about him before getting shushed for getting too loud. Larry says that's because she's never asked. Snalien again insists that it's because he won't talk about him himself (again getting shushed) so Larry asks her what she wants to know. Excited Snalien lets out a long string of questions that Larry gives brief answers to.

Satisfied that they are getting somewhere with this Snalien insists that he ask her a question now so that she can ask another. Larry indulges her, asking if she still wants to go home. Snalien almost brushes the question off (by answering that they can go home at anytime) before shouting that it's complicated. She gets shushed a third time before a large librarian tells them they have three strikes and shoves them in the library dungeon to cool off.

They land on a pile of books below the trapdoor as Snalien explains to Larry what the place is, telling him that they need to solve puzzles to get out. Larry asks how many times she's been down here and Snalien admits once or twice, still feeling guilty that she was the one to get them thrown in here (especially as she can see that Larry is annoyed by the turn of events). She assures him that she can get them out of there before realising that they've changed the puzzles.

First up there is a bookcase nearby that has a bunch of books missing so the two of them begin filling in the spaces (with Larry placing them in and Snalien telling him which books go where). With that done, the ground below them becomes easier terrain and the two of them are able to make their way further into the dungeon. As they are walking, a rhythmic thunking sound greets them and they soon come across a delicate artifact and a bunch of arrows firing across the hallway they need to continue down. Larry investigates the artifact and finds that it is already broken (thus having set off the arrow trap). Snalien is distressed over this and casts shield of faith on Larry before offering to go through the arrows with him. Larry however, tells her that of course they're going through it together, she's on his head before fluidly dodging through the arrows.

On the other side Snalien begins to answer Larry's earlier question. When Larry tells her that she doesn't have to she insists, saying that it's only fair. She tells him that she doesn't know anymore and that it doesn't matter because she doesn't have the money anyway to buy a new ship. When Larry asks what she would do if she did have the money, Snalien doesn't know how to respond. She does missing not being able to see Gregory in person but if she doesn't have to make a choice it makes things easier. She asks if that makes sense to which Larry confirms that it does.

Moving on to her next question (and trying to be sneaky by asking about the mask without asking about the mask), Snalien asks Larry why he wears the arm-wraps. He admits that he wears them because he has to not because he wants to. However, when Snalien tries to push further he doesn't respond and instead tries to look for the next puzzle.

They soon find it, as they reach a point that doesn't seem to have a way forward and there are no hints on what to do. Snalien looks around before asking Larry to raise his glowing banjo higher and they see a button on the roof. Eagerly, Snalien attempts to climb a bookcase to get to it but instead ends up sliding down to the floor dismayed that they can't help. Larry says it's fine and begins climbing. As he is reaching for the button, however, he slips and falls all the way to the floor. Annoyed, Larry gets out his oboe and chucks it at the ceiling, hitting the button and causing the bookshelves in front of them to recede and show the path forward.

Realising that pushing the issue isn't going to get Larry to answer their question, Snalien instead asks what Larry's favourite type of dog is. Larry eventually answers that it's the Bull Terrier and Snalien tells him that hers is the Jack Russel Terrier. She then tells him that he can ask her another before suggesting things he could ask. Larry thinks before asking if Snalien has a family. Once again Snalien wavers over answering before talking in round about circles about the different types of families she'd seen in space and heard of. Larry knows what she's doing but doesn't push it, making Snalien feel immensely guilty. However they soon come across the next puzzle: a floor of lava.

Scattered about in the lava are several items, allowing them to try and jump from item to item and across. Snalien also adds that it's not technically lava because if you fall in it it won't hurt and instead just bring you back to the start to try again. Larry then pulls out his grappling hook and goes to throw it, however, before he can, Snalien asks him to say 'This bitch is empty! Yeet!' as he does so. Larry is initially reluctant but eventually goes along with it. As they are swinging across, Larry misjudges the timing and they fall into the lava, teleporting back to the start without the grappling hook. Snalien tries to pull something useful out of her hammerspace to use (pulling out a pamphlet, George the octopus and a rubber chicken) before Larry remembers his flying bike and pulls that out.

As they are flying across (picking up Larry's grappling hook as they go) Snalien goes to ask another question before she stops and answers Larry previous question honestly. She admits that she doesn't know if she has a family (at least not in the way most people define it). She does have friends that she misses (as well as enemies) but that's about it. Before Larry can respond, she immediately asks why he won't take off the mask. Instead of answering her question, he tells her that he can relate and that he lost someone before. Snalien is sad by this news (she is unsure how it's related to her question before hitting herself for getting off track). Larry expands that it was his brother and that it's probably for the best that he's on his own now. Snalien asks if he needs her to kick his brother's ass evoking a genuine laugh from Larry. He then tells her that he doesn't know what happened only that one day he was gone.

At this point the pair have made it across the lava and Larry dismounts, putting the bike away. Snalien asks if this is why he said to Shorts Kid that everybody leaves and Larry confirms. Snalien then tells Larry that she thinks his mask is cool and won't try to force him to show her what's behind it anymore and that if she does that he should ignore her so that she remembers her promise. Larry agrees and Snalien asks if she can still ask him more questions. This leads them to a conversation on the dichotomy of toons vs animals vs reelkind vs aliens as the duo exit the library dungeon and back into the library main (which they are allowed in now that they've burnt off some of the energy that got them in there in the first place).