Right after entering liminal

[wolvering]

By the Crone's saggy, dessicated paps! Those mangy, fly-struck, thrush-footed, worm-begot sons of dungheaps! To Gifnu's deepest hells with you, Trumps. You--

[The tirade continues with more creative swearing and cursing, even slipping into different languages a time or two, for a solid minute more. But eventually Pod runs out of steam, and there's a moment of silence before she addresses the network with more calm.]

So do these Trumps mock everyone with their overlays or am I just that unlucky?

Comments

[leftbehindagain]

[Naoki opts not to say anything about the tirade. There are more pressing things to be getting on with - and he half wants to ask what was so bad about Rome, of all things.]

The information Naoto got once was that you end up with the overlay that resonates best with you. Unfortunately, that means they can end up hitting too close to home for anyone's comfort more often than not.

[wolvering]

Resonates... But then that really doesn't make sense!

[Because she'd looked like Queen Rani. Exactly. And then without even a breather she was a bastard noble sent off to serve a god and avoid disgrace to the family. How do those things resonate?]

[leftbehindagain]

How so?

[wolvering]

In Bando I-- Saya looked exactly like Queen Rani. And now, this other me was a noble, and given over to a priesthood to put her out of her family's hair.

I'm not-- It doesn't make sense.

[She's trying hard not to admit something out loud, if the unconnected facts and the sudden change in the last thought are any indication.

[leftbehindagain]

You don't think the nobility part has any connection to you. [that much is clear, from the way she's edging around it.]

Maybe with your overlays, it's not always their pasts that you're getting connected to? Maybe it's personality.

[Or maybe she does have noble blood by her home's standards and either doesn't know it or wants nothing to do with it.]

[clumsy attempt at private]

[wolvering]

It's not so much that--

[Pod sighs, not that it translates mentally and tries to figure out how to make it so no one can listen in.]

At home, the first thing people ask when they meet me, or want to ask even they're too polite to say the words, is if I'm part of the Kelnethi royal family. And I don't know! I'm a-- an orphan. It's such a frustrating question because I can't answer. But then I was the spitting image of the greatest queen Kelneth ever had, and then a noble sent into the priesthood and--

Ugh!

good thing someone in this conversation has Protection 2, innit

[leftbehindagain]

You have no way of knowing how appropriate it is, probably even if you went home, because there's no one to ask. That about right?

very good, not that she really knows it exists.

[wolvering]

About. It's like they're saying I am but no one can prove it! And even if I was Kelneth doesn't look kindly on b--

Oh Gifnu's hells. I'm a bastard. All my overlays have been too. Why can't I just be normal for once?

well, he's got her covered in this conversation, at least.

[leftbehindagain]

Having married parents isn't necessarily 'normal.' And if people are blaming you for what they did, they're idiots.

[wolvering]

Tell that to anyone in the Five Kingdoms. They surely won't believe you. I can't exactly argue with you about the lot being stupid for judging based on things like that, but they still do.

Thank Kerras in his great and boundless wisdom for claiming me as one of his Beast Healers.

[leftbehindagain]

People in pretty much any world have something stupid that they judge people on. At least someone gave you a chance to prove them wrong.

[wolvering]

I was never happier to find Conor—he’s the Beast Healer that found and saved me. He was able to claim me for the guild and Kerras, and because I was blessed with the magic, they couldn’t argue. They tried to steal me back anyway.

[Which is a troubling thought. They hated her, but they coveted her all the same.]

[leftbehindagain]

Charming of them.

The people here aren't going to measure your worth by your parents. We'll measure it by what you show us of yourself. And you're definitely a good person.

[wolvering]

I--

Thank you. You've no idea how much it means to hear that.

[leftbehindagain]

Given the trouble your parentage or lack thereof seems to've gotten you so far, I think I can guess. You're welcome.

Incidentally. Do you know how to keep your messages private for sure? I've got this one covered, but... there are people who like to pry.

[wolvering]

[Just the thought makes her freeze, and her thoughts come as a desperate scramble a second later.]

They what? Oh yes, please. I don't want people listening in to private things; how's it done?

[leftbehindagain]

It's like... [hmm. How best to approach this when Internet metaphors are bound to be lost on her?]

You're probably familiar with cities having defensive walls to keep intruders out, right? It's something like that, just around your own mind. You'll need some practice before you can use it on both sides of a conversation, so the first step's more of... a wall or moat around just a castle, I guess.

[wolvering]

Or a stone fence around a pasture? It won't keep everything out, but it keeps the horses and cattle in well enough, and makes it much harder for brigands to get in.

[Someone else might have said wolves, but Pod knows they'll avoid going after livestock if they can.]

I can try imagining that!

[A pause] But how do I know it's working?

[leftbehindagain]

Yeah, that works too.

You half have to take it on faith, since it's... difficult to prove whether anyone's actually poked into your conversations in the first place. But it does feel a little more securely locked down, if you stop to pay attention. It's difficult to describe.

[wolvering]

I'm going to try it!

[Pod takes a couple minutes imagining building a wall around herself, like she's in the middle of a nice, pleasant pasture, and then reaches out for the network.]

Did it work? I'm not sure how to really tell if it feels different or not.

[leftbehindagain]

I think so. That's a lot more solid than your first attempt at locking the conversation down, at least, which is definitely a good sign.

[wolvering]

Oh good! Thank you very much for helping! I feel much better knowing it's more private than before.

[Even if she's more assured that people won't judge, knowing people could listen in makes her feel vaguely ill.]

[leftbehindagain]

Any time, Touwata-chan.

Keep practicing and you'll be able to lock down an entire conversation by yourself.

[wolvering]

I will! I'm sure I'll get it in no time!

[leftbehindagain]

I'm sure you will. You're a quick learner.