Important questions and a Plan

[otomechapilot]

So, I have an idea for dealing with one of the Glatisants, and a question.

First, the plan. Found out helping Shinji - that’s Mech Pilot Shinji, not Has A Persona Shinji - that my ANIMa, at least in Questing Country, is still just as tall as it needs to be to fight monsters. So I’m going to the future to try and talk down that one, and failing that, wrestling with it on our terms.

Second, I warned the Fool about the whole time spiral thing that Me From Questing Country and Adult Probably Oracle-of-Anchors Me told Present Me to warn the Arcana about, and wow, I hate Time Shenanigans.

He thanked me and told me he’d also warn ROSE, Mei, SAGE, and Shekinah. I asked which ones quote “Rider and Waite” unquote would say those are and he grinned and was like “Who and what? Eh, you like questions, figure it out.” I know who SAGE is and precisely zero of the others, so... who would Rider and Waite say they are?


(Psi Protection I, privated from Kanji and Kohaku)
Also what’s a cheesecake, how do you make it, and what’s the difference if any between a Japanese one and any other kinds? Asking because birthdays are happening and I got a request.

Comments

[theflyingone]

[ Wait what. ]

Explain the 'time spiral thing'.

I was thinking of trying to communicate with the Glatisant as well. I could use some powers to try and calm it. I am not going for fighting it first thing. I could come along.

[ Talking to animals and Siren Songing at things are pretty strange skills to have, but whatever works. ]

[otomechapilot]

Okay. So if any of this is unclear, I'm sorry in advance, it might be complicated.

So, how does time flow?

Is it an arrow going forward? Is it stuff making other stuff happen, cause and effect, things going forward? That's what a lot of the West thinks, how most people in my America in the year 7 PB (or we think the year 2023 CE) think.

Is it a wheel rolling around? Is it a bunch of cycles happening over and over again, the same old story hitting the same plot beats one after another, spring-summer-fall-winter as metaphors for repeating history?

I had a vision of the future during the whole liminal visions thing last month where I saw myself in Questing Country, getting my hair braided by myself as an adult. I can explain why myself as an adult is a huge deal later. And they both thought it was important enough to tell me that time is both.

It's stuff happening in order, moving forward, but with patterns and cycles we can recognize. And change. For the better. It's like - there was a book my brother read to me as a kid where a scientist had this exact same discussion with a philosopher, and the philosopher gave him a watch shaped like a nautilus shell, and my adult self reminded me about that book and used it as an example.

Then she told me to warn the Travellers and the Arcana.

...Ooops. In my defense I have been telling everyone I ran into.

[theflyingone]

[ He takes it in stride. His favorite philosopher wrote about a body horror precursor to evolutionary theory and the law of conservation of mass. He's got this. ]

It makes sense why you would call it a spiral. [ A spiral is both a line and serves the purpose of a wheel-like cyclical thing. ] And the current Arcana game was set up because Fortune won last round. What do we need to be warned about?

[ He doesn't yet include the Arcana on this; he doesn't like them much. ]

[otomechapilot]

...The Wheel Of Fortune. Roll it and test your luck, yeah.

I think, as this applies to the Travellers, it's a message to not be afraid of changing how things quote "are supposed to have happened" unquote. But then, I was stuck in something like a loop back home until I took what I learned to spiral out of it.

[theflyingone]

Is the Glatisant stuck in a loop? I've only been exploring the forest and below the lake sinkhole in the sub-dream world.

[otomechapilot]

No, but it went to the future and the past.

And I think we shouldn't be afraid of 'changing' the past and letting that spiral out into the future.

Frankly I can think of two things I'd change right now. I'd help Allura's rebellion and I'd help the Adversaries.

[theflyingone]

Because of your vision? Did anyone figure out where the visions came from?

[otomechapilot]

If someone figured it out, I'm not sure.

...I don't think it was from the Arcana, if that's what you're worried about. At least, not on purpose. Just a gut feeling.

Also, you know, slavery for the elves and forcing people to swear oaths at swordpoint for the Adversaries. Seems like a problem that causes more problems later.

[theflyingone]

I already want to help the Adversaries avoid being Sanctioned, and I suspect I will have my hands full with finding those who are doing it. I only know the name of one who was doing it, and that is the Champion of Crows.

[ He neglects to mention that he'd like to assassinate him, but that is on a need-to-know basis. ]

Fooling with time is something I need to get more information about before doing anything. I know someone who is versed in such things. Davesprite usually appears as an orange young man with bird features.

Oh, and there is the Colonel, but he is difficult to talk with sometimes. [ read: annoying ]

[otomechapilot]

Mmn. If we have experts on messing with time and not regretting it, I should probably talk to them, yeah.

...you mentioned you wanted to help with dealing with the Glatisant in the future. Talk it down if we can, fight it if we can't. If that offer's still open, I'll take it.

[theflyingone]

'Probably' should be 'definitely'. We are in luck as we have two of them.

Is it possible for you to open a portal for me to take there? I could probably try getting there from Liminal Space, but I would have no idea if I would be portalling into the creature itself. What is it doing over there that would warrant fighting it?

[otomechapilot]

Crushing things underneath it, mostly. It snapped a bridge to the past with a flick of its tail. Probably symbolic of something. If it gets really angry, it's a very big beast that can do a lot of damage when it lashes out.

Fighting isn't my first choice, but I'm good at talking, and I also have a weapon that can fight on it's scale if I need to. Shove it around, away from where it can do damage.

Uh, unfortunately I don't know how to make portals.

[theflyingone]

That is fine, it just means I have to use up my portals for that, and that only. I will find other ways to escape if I need to.

[ He is the Oracle of Sight, after all. Seeing and finding should be in his purview. Hopefully. ]

Since this is a land of dreams, why is harming the landscape a concern?

[otomechapilot]

Well, apart from "imagine that happening to a Dreamer," and wounds from Questing Country translating to the Wake...

I don't want to think of the implications of someone's dreams literally being crushed, shattered, or turned to ashes.

[theflyingone]

So it does not avoid trampling people either? In that case I will need to be more careful approaching it. I will scout first. It may take some time.

[youandyoualone]

I am also concerned about the Sanctions. Fidelite--that is, the vixen who has attached herself to me--said that I might learn more about breaking them by absorbing the dream energies of their era in a 'Dreamcatcher' for roughly a week and then 'reading' what was within. I am almost finished and will report back as soon as I've accomplished the reading.

[otomechapilot]

Thank you, Mister Delunay. I really appreciate it.

(And she really does - that frustration is that this is needed, not directed at Anafiel.)

Are you trapped in the past part of Questing Country? We can send someone to get you, but in the meantime I can pass info from the Network to any Adversaries that need help.

[youandyoualone]

Not trapped, exactly. I can reach liminal space to sleep by portaling.

[otomechapilot]

One of these days I need to learn that trick. I’m behind on liminal shaping stuff - I dove in to psychic stuff with both feet.

[youandyoualone]

As did I once I learnt basic portals and how to create my liminal space purse. 'Tis simple enough to learn, however. I would teach you if you wish.

[theflyingone]

I do not want to just break them. I want to prevent them from happening in the first place.

[youandyoualone]

As do I--but I also wish to find ways to free those who are already so bound.

[theflyingone]

Once we leave, then what? The wrongdoers are still out there.

[youandyoualone]

And that means we should not free the already Sanctioned? We can deal with those who Sanction and free their victims. It does not have to be only one or the other.

Altair talked about hydras in canon like this, apropos of week 3

[theflyingone]

No matter how many innocents I saved on the streets of Jerusalem, it never eliminated what was bringing danger to them in the first place. Cut the head of a hydra, two more appear in its place. But Investigators have a limited amount of time here, so I try to go to the source of the sickness. If I can free someone on the way, or give the means to a local to help do that in the future, I will.

Do you think the victims of Sanctioning can offer us insight into how to prevent it?