A Question of Changes [A couple days into liminal]

[mytearsaremine]

Uh, hi. I'm Jolie. And I'm not screaming at you all this time. Sorry about that. I was just kind of scared and stuff, and didn't know what I was doing, since I'd kind of just showed up and all. But now I do, so no more yelling.

Only now I kind of have a question? And I wanted to ask as many of you as possible, so I guess I'm doing it here, and like this, even if it's kind of creepy still that people talk in my head. But it's not a bad talking in my head, and everybody says you can't do anything to me with it, so I'd better get used to it, right? And no better way to get used to something than to do it.

So anyway, the question, right. Do these Trump guys ever... change what you were before you got here? Like, your abilities or appearance or something? Besides the mark things. I've seen a couple of those. I mean like other things.

Has that happened to anybody?

Comments

[solvethepuzzle]

What about you changed?

[mytearsaremine]

I was wondering if anybody was gonna ask that. Short answer is, I don't know if anything changed yet.

Slightly longer answer is, I don't wanna talk about it here cuz it might freak people out. But if it changed, it's a very super good thing that it changed and I might like want to kiss the Trumps or something for doing it.

[solvethepuzzle]

[Somebody had to ask.]

Well, we wouldn't want to start a panic. But what reason do you have to believe it would do such a thing? People here have seen much and are surprisingly accepting of a great many things. [Yeah, he's still fishing a bit.]

[mytearsaremine]

If you wanna know, come find me in person. I'm not gonna talk about it here.

[She is stubborn, Near, sorry.]

[solvethepuzzle]

[No, this is fine. People have been increasingly paranoid about the network lately. (He frankly doesn't understand why they hadn't expected so much eavesdropping before, really. It was very naive of them; he's always considered the possibility and built defenses.)

[A pause here, a few moments to go back in his mind, tracing some backlog.] You are Jolie, correct?

[mytearsaremine]

Yeah, that's me. Jolie Ann Harmony, if you want my whole name. Who are you?

[solvethepuzzle]

[Her full name probably isn't necessary -- and he instinctively thinks it a foolish thing to give out, but this place is not home -- but it's helpful for finding her.]

Thank you. [Basic politeness seems to be the thing to do. It doesn't cost him anything.] I am called Near. And I will be along as soon as I am able. [Psychic detection is such a convenient skill.]

[mytearsaremine]

[If you can't trust your fellow Travelers, then who can you trust, right?]

Sure. Uh, don't you want to know where I am, though?

[solvethepuzzle]

[Exactly. Hence why . . . no Traveler knows his real name.]

I suppose that could be helpful, if you insist. [He could just find her, but if she's forthcoming enough to reveal her location, that works, too.]

[mytearsaremine]

[That does kind of imply that he could have found her without her telling him anything. Which makes her curious. Still, she did offer:]

I'm on the fake river thing, but I can get off over by the rope to the waterslide island, I'm not far from it. That'll be easier to find.

[solvethepuzzle]

[He doesn't mind inspiring a bit of curiosity, really.]

Very well, then. I will see you shortly.

[mytearsaremine]

Okay.

[And she'll be at the pole for the zip-line, as promised, only still in the water, one tentacle stretched out to anchor her to shore while she continues to lay on her inner tube. Or they can meet up over here if we like logs more than action spam.]

[solvethepuzzle]

[She's simple enough to find, the sense Psychic Detection gives him still a help despite her directions. His steps are quiet, owed to the fact that he only winds up having shoes on Jaunts; sock feet are almost silent.

[The outstretched tentacle catches his attention immediately, but no visible reaction beyond looking at it reaches his face. From all appearances, it wouldn't be amiss to guess that he is around the same age as she is, for all that it isn't true.]

Jolie. [Simple, crisp, the inclination that he's the one she'd agreed to meet.]

[mytearsaremine]

[The tube spins lazily towards him, and she lifts up a hand to wave. Another tentacle, too. From the looks of it, she has like six of them. Oh, and her eyes glow, too, though it's harder to see in the bright, suffused light of liminal space, right now.

Also dressed in a black swimsuit with a cute little skull on one hip, sporting a pink bow at the temple. Just in case you were doubting that she's actually fourteen.]

Near, right? The head-voice is the same.