Bridge to Walkaboutia

[forcechanic]

[Time to figure out if she's really gotten this psychic bridge thing figured out]

Is this over with the dragons? This is Jaina.

I want to warn you guys that things are coming to a head over on this side. We think we've figured out the source of the problem: Someone called Nyarlathotep. We have a plan, but it's incredibly dangerous. I wanted to warn you all to be prepared for people from our side to be a real mess when we get back to Liminal.

Just... be ready.

I can't patch anyone through, but if you need a message passed on I'll do that once this connection runs out.

Comments

[rustyhonesty]

Yeah, this is the walkabout. Thanks for the heads up. Even with your place being Harrogate, it's good to be prepared.

Do you know how Eren, Mikasa and Armin are doing? I initially thought Armin would be the one making contact with this side again, but I guess even he has his limits.

[forcechanic]

Armin... it's bad. Really bad.

[goestoextremes]

Yeah, you reached dragons side, Korra speaking here right now.

Nya--what? ...I hate being on this side of this thing. Be careful, I hope that plan works.

[rustyhonesty]

... what happened?

[forcechanic]

It has to. We don't have other options.

[forcechanic]

He died.

[Which happens all the time on Jaunts and especially this one]

People have been coming back as ghosts when that happens. And he did... but then the ghost got consumed.

Right now he's in the network. Only in the network.

[crouching_sin]

Yes, it's with the dragons.

[There's silence for a few moments as he figures out how to respond.]

I'm not certain if what I know about him holds true with whatever world you're in, but I've dealt with him before. Be very careful, and don't believe you've killed him in the slightest. He is... tricky.

[rustyhonesty]

[Yeah dying in Harrogate didn't seem too rare. Jean had been preparing to hear that many people had died.

This, however, he was not prepared to.]

His ghost got..? Does that mean he's not going to revive like we normally do...? Will he always be just... there? That can't be... Armin can't..

[The last conversation he had with Armin had been a fight. ]

No. No no no no. This isn't...

[morethanashadow]

...You know, I feel bad for ditching, but I also would have been no help at all with this.

[hi Jaina did you know your boyfriend ditched? Now you do.]

How are you? Are you... well, ok?

[forcechanic]

I don't know. As far as I know, this has never happened before.

Maybe the Floor.

[Not a pleasant prospect, but better than being a disembodied voice forever]

I'm not even sure how he's persisting in the network like this.

[forcechanic]

I'm pretty sure killing him is beyond us. We're trying to send him back where he came from and then make sure he doesn't have a host available.

Is there anything specific I should warn everyone about?

[forcechanic]

I'm not sure I'll ever be warm again.

[She did know he was elsewhere, psychic detection is a thing]

I'm glad you're out of... that.

[rustyhonesty]

[Imagining Armin needing to go through the Floor to revive isn't a pleasant thought, but at least he'd come to life that way. If he wouldn't and would just be a mind in their thoughts from now on...

No, the Arcana wouldn't leave him like that, right? They'd find a way to resurrect him somehow... right?]

He has to come back. There has to be a way... the floor, a dungeon. Something. I bet Armin hasn't given up either and that's why... that's how he's holding on.

I won't accept the thought that he might not be coming back.

[morethanashadow]

...When we get back, let me know what you need, ok? [he can't do anything right now, but he can at least be there for her after it's over.]

Yeah... me too. [he really thinks he would have lost his mind if he tried to stay there the whole jaunt.]

[forcechanic]

He's still here at all, that's important. Once we take care of the thing that did it to him, we can find a way to get the mind back into a body.

We're all a bit liminal, there has to be a way.

[Hey Arcana they could sure use some help]

[crouching_sin]

Sounds like the most sensible plan.

Hm. Well, when I used his abilities, he wasn't really able to be hurt by any sort of elemental abilities. But I'm not sure if that holds true there.

He also has many faces. You may have to deal with him disguising himself as one of you.

[forcechanic]

When you WHAT?

[Emotion doesn't come across on weird text network. And yet...]

[crouching_sin]

... When you program a demon summoning application, you test every possible summoning you can find. And any sort of supernatural creature counts as a demon in my world.

[Let's not talk about how literally the next day from his current canon point he's using Nyarlathotep on his team.]

[forcechanic]

Okay.

I've been using what you taught me. It helps.

[It'll probably take more than that in the end. But it helps.]

[morethanashadow]

Good. Please be safe. [he doesn't totally trust her to keep herself safe though.]

...Do you know if Vilari is on the ghost side?

[runs]

[She's glad she got out of there in time, but...]

Do you know how Gil and Jules are doing?

[leftbehindagain]

It seems like things are winding down here as well, but the confirmation's still good to have. You guys hang in there.

Do you have any idea how Souji-san's doing?

[uzoda]

Aah, geez. We'll be ready. We'll... we'll do what we can, once it's all done.

Kinji and Yakumo, uh. How are their overlays doing?

[forcechanic]

In trouble with the law.

[Which is not the biggest problem she's had to report today]

[forcechanic]

I'll try.

[Of course JEdi don't believe in try and they do believe in doing what they must]

She is. We haven't spoken, but I know that much.