synopsychic | The Future in Liminal [After the Spirits Get Garbled]

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The Future in Liminal [After the Spirits Get Garbled]

[A little while after the mass alarm and confusion from the spirits, Lyall speaks up on the network.]

I know we had more prophetic nightmares before the Jaunt began than any of us would have liked to see... but I'm afraid I have a new vision to share, as well. My visions are not metaphorical in any way, they are actual glimpses of possible futures, though they can be forestalled if we do the right things. At some point, liminal space will change to look like a network of docks and boardwalks on a sea of clouds... and it will glitch. All the colors turn to black, and a burning boat approaches the platforms.

I think it may be invaded by some outside force. I can't think of what else would cause a glitch like that.

I can share the memory, if anyone wants to see it directly.

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...I want to see it.

[There's a faint bit of Boo! Boo! Boo! in the background.]

All right. It's not as immediately alarming as some I've had, at least.

[And he opens up a memory sharing connection, dropping Hajime into the scene. It's pretty much exactly as described. He will see a cloudy Liminal Space with docks and boardwalks criss-crossing it shiver and glitch, before the clouds and boardwalk turn black, and a burning boat appears floating atop the clouds.]

[Hajime's quiet for a long moment.]

...I bet I could fight a boat.

[Ryo chimes in with a little "Boo!"]

Why would you fight a boat?!

Because if it's not supposed to be in Liminal, I can get it out of Liminal.

[Look, he likes to try to punch all his problems before all else.]

First of all I'm not sure that picking up a boat is possible, and breaking it would be difficult.

Second of all you don't fight the boat itself, you fight the people on the boat.

Third of all you generally don't fight anything while it is on fire unless you can put it out.

I'm not going to pick it up, I'm going to kick it until it explodes.

After I beat the crap out of everyone on it.

And I can put it out.

[Probably.]

You sure?

Very.

[As far as making the boat explode and defeating everyone on it goes.]

Hajime, be careful. We don't know what's on the boat, or what the boat represents. It could be the Arcana themselves, or something on their level.

It could be people who we would rather be friends with, than fight, too.

And if we need to fight the boat, I'll be ready for it.

[There's the mental equivalent of a sigh.]

But yeah, sure, I'll wait until we're sure it needs to have the crap kicked out of it.

Thank you, Hajime. I appreciate that.

Right now, all we know is it might show up... I hate not having context. Sometimes I wonder if the metaphorical visions people get might be easier.

[No, they wouldn't be. He's not a very metaphorical sort of person. He's a biologist.]

You say that and then you're stuck trying to figure out the symbolism of a specific shade of red or what some flower means or what the number three could possibly refer to.

[There's a sense of a sigh.]

No, you're right. I'm no good at interpretation, like that. Not when there's no numbers involved.

So all there is to do now is wait, and keep an eye on liminal space, I suppose.

I guess so.

Even if waiting is...irritating.

It makes me antsy to do something, knowing that something is going to happen, but not when.

Yeah, it wouldn't be as bad if there was something we could do in the meantime.

Except fighting nightmares. I'm doing a lot of that anyway.

[Kills time, makes him happy, ostensibly helps someone out...]

Yes, well. I don't even have that. I've mostly been exploring and talking to people... or back in liminal space.

Let me know if you want something to eat next time you're back there.

Spending more time in liminal space, Hajime? I'll make sure to come visit if you're there next time I am.

I like being able to make sure no one's trashed the restaurant in my absence.

[And he also likes being able to cook away his frustrations if he tires out fighting nightmares.]

You could just lock the door. Not that I'm complaining, mind.

Or people could learn to respect other people's spaces when they're trying to be nice and leave them a free meal.

[He might be kind of irritated about some of what he's come back to before. Just a little.]

Oh no. What happened? Did someone actually trash it? It may be that you ought to revoke visiting privileges if people can't keep things clean.

Let's just say some of the Pogemon and Spirit Companions really need adult supervision.

[And that's why he's not locking the doors--because they're kids, even if he's going to be grumpy about it.]

Oooh.

[Now it makes sense.]

We'll just have to teach them better manners with other people's things, then.

Like I'm so well-suited for teaching manners...

You're more well-suited than you used to be. And you have me to help.

Yeah, you're helping, alright. You actually know how to teach.

I don't think you'd be as bad as you think you'd be, but yes, I'm helping.

Better tell people you're teaching the manners class--I'm pretty sure we'd get more than a few laughs if anyone realized I was involved.

... Yes. I would be interested. I'm afraid my perspective is limited by my short stay here and limited knowledge of other worlds, but it's worth looking at, I think.

Very well. The more people see it, the more likely we are to avert it, if we're even supposed to. I don't know for sure if this is a bad thing, but it does seem a bit ominous.

[And he opens up a memory sharing connection, dropping Naoya into the scene. It's pretty much exactly as described. He will see a cloudy Liminal Space with docks and boardwalks criss-crossing it shiver and glitch, before the clouds and boardwalk turn black, and a burning boat appears floating atop the clouds.]

[There's silence for a moment.]

That looks... hm. I wonder if it's something to do with the local... dreamspace? I have no idea what to call it. But you might ask some of the natives around here if they know of a place similar to that.

It's called Questing Country, you might as well use their name for it.

But regardless, I'm pretty sure it's liminal space, our liminal space. I'm more concerned about that boat. If liminal space turns into a bunch of docks on a sea of clouds, I think we'd better start paying attention.

That's a good point.

Although the burning boat... I wonder if it's a siege, or a funeral. It could be either.

[Never mind that the vikings didn't really... do that... it's the ideas that are important.]

Or a disaster we'd be better off helping with, for that matter. There are a number of possibilities.

A glitch...

Lyall-san, were you here when Jules broke Liminal Space? Or... hmm. It was while I was gone, but there's another time Liminal Space glitched that I've heard about...

When liminal space went all white and we started creating spaces within it ourselves? Yes, I was there for that. I missed the earlier one, I believe, I arrived after it had already happened, but I have heard about it.

It doesn't seem to be like either of those glitches. It's more like... it flickers in and out, and then the colors invert.

Still. Do we know what caused those glitches? Because it could be something similar.

I'm not sure about the first, the one we missed, but the second I believe was Jules playing with some inter-dimensional machine in the side-Jaunt? It could be that he'd used the inter-dimensional machine to poke at liminal space, and that made it glitch... perhaps this one comes from someone or something powerful in Questing Country trying to poke at liminal space in some way?

I haven't tried my changed abilities in liminal space. I can check, if you like, and see if I can sense the same thing, or more detail?

More information is always a good thing. We might as well, if time-related powers even properly work in liminal space when time is fluid.

Want me to meet you there?

Let's do, love. I suspect they won't, but I might see something.

All right, I can be there in just a moment.

[And jump to action? He'll be waiting by Tick-Tock's private rooms' door, if it's up. Otherwise just outside the Workshop.]

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The Future in Liminal [After the Spirits Get Garbled]

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