Introducing Ectoplasmic Embodiment

[thornsofmalkav]

Wait. Shit. No. This isn't how my vision went. I'm not supposed to be Charoite again!

[That little speech comes almost immediately upon arriving in Questing Country. After that, Thorne is almost completely silent for the next couple hours. When she finally contacts the network again, she sounds much less upset. Tired and a little giddy, but not upset.]

Okay. So. I think I might have figured out how Empress managed to pull the Skittles out of people two years ago.

Comments

[fruitknife]

What's candy have to do with anything?

[thornsofmalkav]

Oh right, they were before your time. Um, so, there were these rainbow-themed asshole mages in the world of Dolorosa and Misericordia that managed through sheer cussedness to break into Liminal and pick a fight with the Empress? But they lost because a couple other Arcana jumped in to help her and then she went and pulled the Travelers who had been Infiltrating as them physically out of their bodies, instead of just putting them in the driver's seat like de-infiltration usually works.

The 'Skittles' thing is because they're color coded. [And Magician had called them that.]

[fruitknife]

Oh.

So you completely de-infiltrated yourself? [By that point she's confirmed the 'somebody' to Matthew.]

[thornsofmalkav]

Yep. But like I just said to Matthew, it took a lot out of me. I doubt I could do this more than once a Jaunt--but I could probably teach other people.

[comebewe]

Wait. You mean you've pulled someone out of their overlay?

[thornsofmalkav]

Me.

I pulled me out of Charoite. But I don't think I'll be able to do it again anytime soon. It's got a hell of a cooldown.

[comebewe]

You know you don't have to talk about these things like they're video game mechanics.

[[Honestly. Cooldowns. Who talks about magic like that?]]

What happened to your overlay?

[thornsofmalkav]

Sometimes it helps to conceptualize it. What I mean is that it took a fuck-lot out of me and I don't know if I'll have it in me to do it to anybody else before the Jaunt is over. Maybe once more if I dig deep into my reserves.

Charoite's fine. She's in her own body without me, we had a nice talk, and we're both relieved that I won't be driving while she's holding hands with her rock husband.

[truerevelation]

[Give him a moment to parse the context of 'skittle' here, but...]

You mean the. The thing with the Illuminants? I know she'd be fine with doin' fancy candy for people but.

Um.

...Crackin' hell.

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah. Yeah.

This. Is pretty major.

... and yeah, sorry, I mean the Illuminants. Magician was calling them Skittles in this vision that someone got and I kind of picked it up, because it's catchy?

[There's an awkward pause.]

So. Are you yourself or half-infiltrating?

[truerevelation]

Heh. Cute.

And I ... I ain't in anyone else's head, no...

[thornsofmalkav]

Oh. Huh.

[Well now she feels dumb for freaking out about the Kei thing. And she's pretty sure that Matthew's all 'I told you so' now, even if he isn't gonna directly think it at her.]

But yeah, I think maybe this is the first time one of us has ever replicated one of their special Arcana tricks like that? It makes you kind of wonder...

[awitchdidit]

Ahaha, well, welcome back to the realm of the carbon-based, where once again I find myself surpassed by someone I have taught, in a way. Dividing souls like that...I assume it's the next step after restoring a Traveler's self-awareness?

[thornsofmalkav]

Sort of? It's the next step after restoring awareness and doing the high level healing stuff, like regrowing limbs. I mean, I had to make a Jaunt body for myself, so I'm pretty sure it was a hybrid skill.

[awitchdidit]

Aha, I see. I believe I'm almost to the point of restoring bodies with that goo of yours, so if I start practicing on the psychic viewpoint...

[thornsofmalkav]

I could help you. I mean, I had to learn all that stuff for myself, so I should be able to teach it.

[leftbehindagain]

You did?

[thornsofmalkav]

Yeah. I mean, I don't think I could do it again this Jaunt because it took a lot out of me, but I was able to do it to myself.

So. It turns out that that stuff you were speculating about last summer when I told people about Liminal Healing isn't just theoretically possible but actually possible.

[leftbehindagain]

I guess I'll need to work on my liminal capabilities some, then.

[fridgeninja]

That's a good trick.

[thornsofmalkav]

I thought so too.

[fridgeninja]

How did your overlay take the news?

[theflyingone]

I think we may have to tell at least some of the truth to one of their leading Oracles. Whatever trust, or semblance of trust, they have in us would wear thin. They are going to discover this eventually, and we do not want a witch hunt, as they say in the West. First the nature of our Traveling, now this...

[ His psychic "voice" is not raised, but there is definitely a good dose of "disappointed father" in it. ]

[thornsofmalkav]

... yeah. We probably should.

[Meanwhile Thorne herself sounds fairly sheepish.]

[theflyingone]

Was it difficult, this sort of de-Infiltration?

[ Not letting up on the disappointment, Thorne. ]