Malik has ideas

[loyalrebel]

Now that we have had some time to relax after the events of Harrowgate, I have some ideas about how to improve our responses as infiltrators to situations.

For those of you who are newly joining us, greetings and apologies for what will likely be uncomfortable discussions. The previous Jaunt was… not a good one for many of us despite the successful outcome.

We, as a group, need to get better at talking about what happens to us on Jaunts, no matter how emotionally difficult it is. I understand not wanting to think or talk about a traumatic event, but talking about it allows others to avoid the same situation in the future. Avoiding something doesn't make it unhappen or stop existing.

We have people, including myself, who know how to keep to facts and events when relaying information to prepare others. I cannot speak for them, but if you wish to use my services my door is always open and I will not think lesser of anyone for finding it difficult to speak openly.

Which brings me to my second suggestion, and the reasons I see for it.

We need a better system for gathering information and taking action as investigators. Running headfirst in to something without a plan keeps getting people arrested, killed or worse.

I know that dying may not be as bothersome to some of us as it is others, but it is not a pleasant or always acceptable price for information.

What I propose is that we put together a dedicated response team of investigators willing and able to follow an actual plan and work in coordination for gathering information in sensitive or dangerous situations as well as extracting those who get in over their heads.

Powers beyond use of the mental network that I believe would be beneficial or crucial to this are teleportation, shapeshifting, interface, summoning Travelers, portal creation, and some sort of healing knowledge. Nobody needs to have all of them, but a few or a willingness to learn them would be good.

Stealth and combat skills can be taught, but most important will be an ability to take and follow orders of whomever is taking point as coordinator for the jaunt based on their knowledge and experience as well as put aside personal opinions and egos for the sake of a greater good.

I know that we have no idea who will or won't be themselves on Jaunts but if there are enough people in this Response Squad, for lack of a better name, then the odds are that at least a few will be themselves and able to act.

...and yes, this is a request for volunteers, regardless of your personal opinions of me or other Travelers.

If you wish to speak with me privately about this, my door is open through the Workshop Library.

Comments

[thornsofmalkav]

I can help. You know I'm good for heals. I can do portals and interface too.

[And she can spy but that's a secret.]

[loyalrebel]

I am indeed intimately familiar with your healing skills.

Thank you, I expect there should be some sort of meeting should there be enough interest.

[truerevelation]

Okay. Yeah. I've got a few of those tricks, and ... I totally agree that we need to get some plans worked out. Freaking out like idiots and running off alone is not gonna help anyone.

But. I just wanna check.

Is this you sayin' ... you wanna run the thing, or just saying it would be a good thing to get together?

[Not that he doesn't respect Malik's abilities to coordinate such an activity, but at the same time... his mind's 'leader' slot is well and truly filled, never mind that it's drifting back to Pogtopia.]

[loyalrebel]

It would be a good thing to get together.

There inherently cannot be any singular leader anyway, who takes point depends entirely on who is investigating and what the situation requires.

[scarsolderthanyou]

Shapeshifting isn't always as useful as it sounds, depending on what you turn into.

[Here's a brand new voice for you, Malik. He sounds... old. But strong, and a bit wry.]

But the rest doesn't sound like a bad idea. I'm a little new to all this, so you'll probably have to do a lot of explaining, but I might as well help out.

[Since several days of being grumpy about this whole thing, and still no talk with these "Arcana" things has been forthcoming, Stone figures he might as well engage. It'll keep him from being bored, and he can't sustain real anger and resistance for days on end without running out of any enjoyment of it.]

[loyalrebel]

True, though if someone is looking for one person they tend not to be looking for whatever else you can turn in to.

New is fine, we have all been there before and will be again eventually.

What do you still need to know about?

[claudiometer]

Having people willing to charge headfirst into the unknown gets us the information we need to do the rest, half the time.

But you're right that we could use something more coordinated for after that. I'm in. Got teleporting, portals, and interface, and I can't be far off Thorne's goo-healing trick.

[loyalrebel]

There's a difference between running in headfirst without a plan and running in headfirst with a plan.

I am not going to try to stop people from jumping in to the void, I am simply looking for people willing to put on, or act as, a proverbial safety harness first.

[papacerberus]

This is a good idea. I will stand with you. I'll teach what skills I can, and I'm willing to learn as well. Once we have a well-rounded group, we can begin making a difference.

We'll also need strategists; that will make the planning go more smoothly.

[loyalrebel]

Strategy can be taught easily enough through following another's example.

Thank you, having you on board certainly improves odds I think.

[awitchdidit]

I'm in complete agreement with your basic idea, and for once I don't see enough problems that I feel a need to nitpick everything, so let's talk details.

For example, I'll volunteer. I don't exactly expect trust from everyone here, but I think I've shown enough dedication to positively resolving Jaunts that hopefully no one has a problem with that. Seeing as I'm volunteering, I'm quite capable with Liminal Skills and a number of other magical support abilities, but I've no head for Psychic communication beyond the basics. It might be beneficial to make sure we recruit large numbers of people skilled in both Psychic and Liminal abilities that make coordination and logistics easier.

[loyalrebel]

It is only minorly about trust, it is mostly about reliability as far as I see it.

I cannot think of many psychic skills that would be specifically useful but having someone who can keep them private is not unwelcome.

I care more about having a group who can keep their heads and function together to accomplish a task than being the heroes of a situation.

[smokeandcarbs]

[First time the voices in his head make any kind of sense and then...

What?The what?]

I'm an inspector...I perform audits. If you tell me where danger is, I'll probably be able to walk in the opposite direction.

[Sorry, Malik. At least shounen hero he is not.]

[loyalrebel]

That is appreciated.

What is an audit?

[Sorry, he's from 1195.]

[haveabiscuit]

I seldom seem to be myself, but in case I am, I have quite a few portal skills and recently learned to summon others to me.

[Not just Jules. Really.]

[loyalrebel]

I believe I also recall that you are experienced in dealing with various levels of crisis?

[leftbehindagain]

...You know, that's not a half-bad idea.

I can think of a number of ways the network might be useful to this - not least figuring out exactly where someone is. There's also sharing information about what someone might be walking into, whether that's by livestreaming it or having it dumped into your head on arrival, not to mention bridging network divides, since they've been instituted on two different jaunts now.

And it may not be a bad thing to have a standing list of people who want to be de-infiltrated if possible, even when the stakes aren't as dire as they were in Harrogate.

[loyalrebel]

If I am needed, please do so but... if it is not necessary and there is no danger I would prefer my overlay be left in peace.

[He... kinda enjoys the mini-vacations from himself.]

[otomechapilot]

...I think I've figured out something that I can use instead of the network to talk to people, if that helps. I can also fly and scout and am good for fighting, but I'm not exactly, uh, inconspicuous if I have to fly or fight something much bigger than me.

Psychic Protection I:

How common is it to be able to share dreams over the Network?

[loyalrebel]

We may end up in a world where your flying ability is fairly normal seeming. Stranger things have happened.

[Malik can't actually Psychic Protection]

If you have something, I am sure it will not seem too out of place among us. A number of us can become merfolk or sing emotions.

[vrepit_no]

That sounds like a great idea. [Relief? What relief? There's no relief here.]

I have a little bit of portals, and some battlefield triage medical knowledge to add, and I guess sometimes I can be a space rock? Er. Hecatite, is the proper term. I can work on my portals though. I know a couple of people who are way better at it than I am.

[loyalrebel]

What matters more is that you are not going to run in to something headfirst without telling people where you are going and having a contingency for extraction in place should things go badly.

[willyousee]

Blessed Elua yes. Some kind of organized plan would be excellent, speaking as both a person who has attempted that and as someone who is primarily an infiltrator, that would be greatly appreciated.

My healing skills and shapeshifting are limited, and I have no portals or teleportation whatsoever, but interfacing, sifting, and a number of other useful skills are entirely at your disposal.

[loyalrebel]

You do realize that I am not the one in charge unless it is a situation with which I am the best suited to take point on, correct?

[shiroganeheir]

I am certainly willing to assist, Malik-san. I have the ability to heal with my Persona, and do know a thing or two about strategy.

I have little skill in movement, creation, psychic or network skills, but I do have the ability to combine skills I do have in various ways.

[loyalrebel]

Excellent.

...I still have no idea what a persona is.

[tookashirototheknee]

I honestly don't know how much help that I could be, but I do know first aid, have some medical knowledge, and I'm a biologist? Um.

I am good at doing what I'm told, though, and have some military training, so I can redshirt if you need one.

[vrepit_no]

First of all, medical is great. Secondly? No. Just. No.

[eldritchwheelies]

I volunteer as tribute!

I can use bug-out Portals, eldritch defenses if necessary, and can use both classical and computational sorcery to create and manipulate energy.

I also picked up control panels from the Grid and some useful S-Techs from Shoujou-High.

Oh, and. Uh. You have blanket permission to de-Infiltrate me.

[loyalrebel]

Can you stay calm in intense or otherwise questionable situations?

[imitable]

And what happens if everyone on this team is rendered incapable, either due to infiltration or something else?

[loyalrebel]

We have the ability to undo an infiltration and summon our fellow travelers across from a walkabout.

Capability is a matter of mindset.

[highsteaks]

I can do portals? And I'm willing to learn stuff to help. You know I am.

[loyalrebel]

That is a good start, and willingness to learn is as well.

[rustyhonesty]

I know both portals and interface. I have also three different healing spells... but that's about it.

If nothing else I can teach a lot of Liminal things. Anything to help out.

[theflyingone]

Psychic Network abilities are a subtler alternative to things like portals, [ Altaïr says for the benefit of everyone here. ] Being able to show what you are seeing over the Network is useful, and one of the first ones I learned. There are also ways to look through someone else's eyes, shield your mind from attack, share memories, and bring Travelers back to themselves.

I also give lessons in stealth and blending in. I believe passing unnoticed is one of our greatest tools.

[ Altaïr, despite having been thrown unexpectedly into leadership both back home and here, had always been more reserved than Malik. He had leaned toward a more subversive route of cultivating wisdom by educating Travelers, forming plans only as needed during Jaunts. He remembered that Malik had always been more of a planner than him. ]

...We definitely need a better name than 'Response Squad.' [ Cue eyerolling. ]

[loyalrebel]

It is a wonderful tool, but one that few seem willing to actually use when it comes down to it.

Response Squad is not the worst I could have come up with, my friend.

[neverfeltthatway]

I'm willing to help.

I have many psychic abilities that could be useful - in person or at range. I have a fair amount of battlefield control with my color magic, too - flight and heavy mist and control over winds and water. And I have some useful abilities in stealth, disguise, analysis, reality manipulation, and defense, among others.

[loyalrebel]

I do not care how useful you are, Armin, I personally cannot trust you to not do whatever the hell you want regardless of dangers or being told to not do something.

Others can work with you as they see fit. I will not personally team up with you or agree to have you on anything I am leading if it is at all possible.

[fridgeninja]

I'm in.

I can create portals and heal.

I have combat skills, but no stealth. And I don't have any problem taking orders.

[loyalrebel]

Excellent, healers are good to have considering the predisposition to running in to danger folks have.