Eren yells a lot and no one is surprised (filtered from Rose)

[bite_the_hand]

What the shit was that!? I know we end up in overlays that have a lot in common with us, but that was too close! The asshole that double-crossed my overlay and his band-mates was too much like that backstabbing bastard Reiner! The people he ran off with were just like the other two traitors we had to deal with back at the Walls too!

And why was our band named Basement Dilemma!? Basement Dilemma! Is what my old man did going to start messing with me even when I'm Infiltrating now!?

Has anyone had an overlay's life be that close to their own before!? That was exactly the life I probably would've had if I was born into a normal world instead of that Titan-infested hellhole of a cage!

Comments

[butthemiracleneverhappen]

The similarities were... superficial, at best, for me. Still, they were disconcerting enough.

[bite_the_hand]

That's how Infiltrating usually is. I've had some overlays that were too close for me to be okay with, but nothing like that! And I've been here long enough to know that was really damn weird!

[eldritchwheelies]

...You know, and I'm sorry to say it, that was probably close to what I would have done when I grew up back home.

Mind, the Foundation is a bit more public and a bit less gross violations of human rights, but I would have been very happy to be an occult technician for the Man fighting alien threats to the world.

[bite_the_hand]

...There were aliens?

[Guess who's overlay missed the entire point of the Jaunt?]

[shiroganeheir]

Unfortunately, Eren-san, most of my overlays have been almost painfully different than my life. Such as the time I was an investigator who decided to kill someone by pushing them into a television.

We are not our overlays, but we are drawn to those that resonate with us, I have heard.

[bite_the_hand]

[...One of these days he really needs to ask how to tell the difference between the TVs that are portals of death and the ones that just show fun moving pictures.]

I know, Cairbre told me that itself. But that was more than just a resonance, that was almost exactly what my life could have been like if my world didn't have Titans!

[claudiometer]

Well, there was the time I was looking for my brother who I hadn't seen in twelve years and who had a very important compass. Or Ninjaville, which hit way too close to home for a whole host of other reasons.

[bite_the_hand]

So it's not that strange to have an overlay who's life could have been your's if you'd been born in a different world? It just hadn't happened to me yet?

[thornsofmalkav]

Newport was pretty much exactly how my life would have gone if I'd have gotten involved with spirits and fucked off to Britain instead of vampires and New York respectively, down to the untimely death so yeah, I getcha.

[bite_the_hand]

I guess I missed a lot of shit that Jaunt. ...Sorry I wasn't there to help.

[otomechapilot]

Oh I am eagerly looking forward to finding fun new cool overlays where I get to be a combat pilot at 14 and also my brother is there making weapons for me over his protests.

[bite_the_hand]

...Still having shit luck with your overlays, huh?

[callyourname]

Your crush would have a lot less money [ matter-of-fact statement, not a thing they really care about except all that money got them into doing fun things there without problems with money so uh. ] and you'd probably be the singer - guitarist instead.

[bite_the_hand]

At least then I might've been less dumb about admitting to my crush that I like her. [There's an affectionate yet almost teasing note to his voice.]

There's no way I'd be the singer instead. Your voice is a lot better than mine.

[rustyhonesty]

I'm not sure if Eric even noticed, but that guys' new single was Breaking Down the Walls.

SORRY BUT I'M NOT SORRY

[goestoextremes]

... Maybe it will be the name of their album too, then they can try to make Colossal amount of copies of that and make Armored Edition of it first, with some very special Crystal Deluxe Edition following later.

[ YOU'RE WELCOME!! ]

[bite_the_hand]

[There's a tense pause that drags on for several seconds. Then...]

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!?

[Apparently, he hadn't noticed.]

[triggerhappytraitor]

I've only had three so far, but all of them have been very similar, with a most of the same people.

The band we formed in that world... mirrored very closely things back home as well.

[[He's just. Not going to get into specifics.]]

[bite_the_hand]

I've been lucky enough to always Infiltrate as someone close to at least a few of my friends. There's usually some similarities to the life I had back at the Walls, too. It's just never been that extreme.

So there was another band like that... I wonder if there was something different about that Jaunt? Besides how short it was, I guess.

[haveabiscuit]

Sometimes they almost seem to be mocking us. Every time a world has open use of any sort of ability, I seem to have an overlay who married the same man.

[thornsofmalkav]

I've had something like that with my best vampire friend. There was something between us that never went anywhere in real life, but it did go somewhere in three separate Infiltrations.

[bite_the_hand]

I think some of them are mocking us. There's no other way to explain some of this bullshit!

[loyalrebel]

Yes.

They are often the hardest to come back from and tend to haunt you for longer than the more different ones. I... would suggest confiding in a friend.

[Malik is, in fact, making an effort to be as kind and empathetic as possible considering everything between them.]

[bite_the_hand]

...Yeah.

[Well this is a bit awkward. There's nothing uncivil in Eren's tone of voice, however. Just that obvious awkwardness.]

I guess it helps that we all went through it together. At least we all know exactly what each other's been through. Even if I wish they hadn't had to go through it at all...

[starshaper]

Wow, posts like this make me look forward to infiltrating so much. I can't wait what all they'll pull from my life into those times...

[ She can totally wait! Not really looking forward to it considering there are so many timelines and possible alternative situations in her life where they could pull bad stuff from... Welp. ]

Basement Dilemma is a great name for a band! ...Or maybe not if it is some kind of a mess from home, sounds like you have a big problem with a basement.

[bite_the_hand]

...You must have had a pretty good life, then. [He sounds just a tiny bit envious there.]

Sometimes Infiltrating can be nice, but sometimes... When you Infiltrate, you completely lose control of yourself. You're forced to remember everything they do as if you did those things yourself. You have to remember doing things you'd never do. ...Sometimes, even hurting your friends. [There's a pained note in his voice that makes it clear he's speaking from experience on that last part there...]

[He takes a deep breath before moving on to the lighter topic. Not that it's exactly light on its own, but...] In my world, humans have been pushed to the brink of extinction by monsters called Titans. My old man knew something about them, but was keeping it secret from everyone. He told me I'd find the answers I was looking for in the office he had in the basement of our old house. Except that's deep in the Titan's territory now. I spent years training to become a soldier, so I could fight my way back there one day.

[givetheslip]

Do basements hold a particular significance where you're from?

[bite_the_hand]

Not usually, just mine. My old man hid something important in the basement of our old house. He'd promised to show me soon, but that was the same day the Wall fell. My home town's deep in Titan territory now. I'd spent years learning to fight those monsters so I could help humanity reclaim our lost territory and back back to that basement.