"Yeah, after you do a quest thing and befriend a mail-..thing. What do you use instead?"

He points at the circlet. "Telepathy thing."

"I was wondering what that thing did! How do you make one?"

"I actually found it in the weird stalkery treasure chest when I woke up."

"Yeah, I have one of those too," Gabe waves at the chest that just materialized nearby, "found my bracelets in there," he raises a wrist with a bracelet, "they make me invulnerable to small things or something."

"… I don't know how much use you'd get out of that, but I think I pick the telepathy over it."

"I like it just fine, but get it. How does it work? If I give you a name could you contact someone for me?"

"It feels like they're metaphorically located far away, and I haven't really explored it much more than contacting a couple of people – so I could try?"

"Please do. His name is Henry Oswald. I tried the bottles but he is ignoring them."

… Henry Oswald, can you be found based on that name?

Yup. He is that "way".

… Hi.

What? Is the reply.

I have someone here claiming to know you and also a weird telepathy magic.

Oh my physics, I am going insane.

That sounds like a cute phrase and also I don't think I have any way to prove the opposite.

"He's responding, at least?"

Gabe is relieved to the point of falling to his knees. "At least he isn't in a coma or something! Did he call you just a voice in his head? That is what he would do."

"Almost," responds Anthony, raising an eyebrow. "He said – I guess jokingly – that he's going insane."

"Yeah, he would. Do you mind being the annoying voice in his head until he gives you a way for my mom to contact him?"

"I am fine being an annoying voice in his head unless he tells me to get lost, but – gives me a way, how? Like, you want me to snoop on him or?"

The guy – uh, not sure he introduced himself – would like me to be an annoying voice in your head until you contact his mom.

"Anything that could help my mom find and talk to him. Ah, Henry is like super anti-superstitious or something. I think he just ignored the mysterious bottled messages that I sent and assumed they were a prank or something."

His name is Gabe. But of course you know that. You are inside my head!

Eh, he responds. So anyway, hypothetically were I not in your head, what would you want me to do? Anything in particular?

After a moment of mental silent Henry sends. Where would you be if not in my head?

There is a undertone of both bitterness and amusement in his thoughts.

Actually, I don't think you'll believe me, but: a desert island. I disappeared while playing soccer, apparently.