synopsychic | A few hours into the Jaunt

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A few hours into the Jaunt

I've never done this before, but there's a first time for everything.

It's about time to do a check-in to see who are investigating - or at least have an infiltrator persona. My name is Jean Kirstein and... I don't investigate very often.

Apparently, I arrived with an ID that says I'm 21. So I guess age up, or down, is normal in this Jaunt. I also got a surprise guitar and seem to know how to play it...? Anyone else had something like that happen to them?

I won't ask if anyone has an idea of what we're supposed to do, since it's so early on the Jaunt... but it's good to keep your eyes open for any information that seems important.

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My name is Kurusu Akira. Everything is new for me, so I would appreciate any help that anyone is willing to share.

Is there a procedure these "Jaunts" follow?

The main thing is to try and blend in while trying to get information what we're going to be doing. Come up with a believable backstory so that they won't be suspicious.

There are two Arcana competing. I'm not sure which of them they are this time, but depending on our actions, one of them wins and the others' out of the game. Usually we have a goal to accomplish...

That shouldn't be too much of a problem. Do we all share information here?

I heard some theories based off our "liminal space." If I have the terms right.

Usually, yeah. The conveniences of being able to talk so that infiltrators and other natives can't hear us. Other place for information sharing would be Liminal Space, but this reaches people more easily.

Yeah, you got the term right. Usually the liminal spaces before a jaunt give a hint of who are competing and the ones after a jaunt will show who won. Some Arcana don't really like playing subtle and some are very hard to figure out.

We can't go back to Liminal Space until we're done with the Jaunt. Right?

You'd think they would be more forthcoming if they've pulled us into their game.

Actually, we can. You just need to learn how to use portals or have someone else do those for you. It works as a safe place when things get difficult on a Jaunt or when you just want to relax.

I guess even that depends on their archetypes.

Can those portals be used to return to the Jaunt?

I've heard they are usually vague about things.

Yeah, they go both ways until the time's up for us to be in the world. Which is usually weeks. After the time's up we can't return to the Jaunt we were in unless we're meant to go back.

That's the case far too often, yeah. At least when it comes to jaunts, there isn't a clear solution that they can provide.

It sounds useful. [ mental note made. ]

What if we decide to do nothing?

If you ever want to learn to create a portal, there are several who would be willing to teach you. Me included.

Some Arcana might think that as a victory. Other than that, I don't know.

Maybe once we are done here...?

Then all we can do for now is wait to see what move we can make.

We got your back, dude, don't worry.

Right now we're in the gather-information stage, which usually takes several days to a couple weeks... but I'm not sure we have a couple weeks, this time out.

Thank you for taking care of me. [ /smooth manners ]

Is there a way to judge how many weeks we might have?

[Dude why so formal.]

Probably money, for most people, but the big bag of nails incident last jaunt says I have a skewed perspective on that. I also don't have a hang of the deflation from prices I'm used to compared to the ones posted, just that the bus is insanely cheap.

Usually they're four or five weeks. This festival feels like the kind of thing that's usually the culmination of what they haul us in for, and that'll be over in four or five days.

[ He is a honor student in Japan, Claudia. All the formalities. ]

So... we'll have the time up until the conclusion of the festival to complete whatever it is the Arcana want us to do here. We need to act like people who belong here as well.

Have I missed anything?

If we can get a sense of who's competing, whether we want to shift the jaunt for one or the other and if so who, that can be helpful. Or it can just spark a lot of petty squabbling.

Keep your cover story as close to the truth as you can manage without getting into the interdimensional weirdness factor. It keeps things simpler.

Someone I met had a few ideas based off the previous Liminal Space.

[ He will have to keep those guesses from Satonaka-san in mind. ]

Then, being a tourist from Japan won't be hard to play at all.