At the very beginning of the Majesty's Jaunt

[bigbookofd]

This is Ringabel, and I seem to be quite myself. Who else is in possession of their true memories?

I've found myself outside of the curtain wall of a castle on a floating isle. I smell brimstone and saltpeter, and there's a fleet of airships here coming from the direction of the rising sun.

Yet we're among cheering and laughing children barely old enough to lift a sword, and the mood is jovial. What have we stepped into this time?

I'd like to know what I can so as to avoid drawing undue attention to myself. Fortunately, a Black Mage's robes seem to be in fashionable style here, so my first mistake was not fatal.

Comments

[grimjeaper]

Oh, uh-- I'm... myself. I'm Barry.

So. Hi.

Um.

I've got a cowboy hat now? A-and a, uh. I guess it's a student ID card, for uh. Sydney Hallwinter. Because I got turned... fifteen, apparently, I-I guess that's probably something I should mention.

[bigbookofd]

A student. You've become a student.

Making this a school festival in a world swimming with magic, if those airships are any indication. Machina couldn't hold those materials and forms aloft on their own.

[wolvering]

This is Pod! Kiga and I are ourselves and we actually look like ourselves this time. I have a very large hat on, and a sensible pack and what I think is some kind of uniform?

[There is a psychic growl that's clearly not Pod, followed by:] Too many strangers. Get it off!

[Pod chimes back in.] Kiga has a collar on and he hates it. Also, we have ID! Well, I do. Who can tell me about Canada? I really need to know because it says I'm supposed to be from there.

[bigbookofd]

I'm as ignorant as you about Canada, but you're the second one to make note of being young. (That's what he assumes you meant about looking like yourself, he's seen her around.)

How curious that I didn't become a schoolchild as well, but this is some manner of school.

[photonicfighter]

Oh, oh! I know this! I'm from Canada! [There is a slight pause.] The... the person I'm infiltrating as is from Canada, at least!

...and come to think of it, I'm not sure where to start. It's, er... it's a very large country located above the United States of America and it has ten provinces and three territories and the winters tend to be long and the summers tend to be short and there's a lot of... nature?

[starshaper]

Hi hi~!! Usagi Tsukino here, still myself and wooooooooooooow, my new sailor fuku looks like Rei-chan's school uniform from home, THAT'S SO COOL!! But but I'm not even nearly as cool as she would be on this...

If this is gonna be like anything in Liminal then this will be really, really amaziiiiiing place to study for a whole jaunt! I hope we'll be here for weeks instead of just days!!

... though it feels really weird to be excited to be in school again, I should be more like wake me up when this jaunt is over.

[bigbookofd]

If your uniform is similar to a friends, there may be other points of similarity. Adjacent cultures, similar circumstances. So you're a student here as well?

...what do you think they'll be studying here, if you're excited to be learning it instead of, say, the driest of national mythologies?

[likescats]

THIS IS DEATH. I HAVE MY MEMORIES.

THOUGH I'M GOING BY BILL DOOR TO AVOID...AWKWARD QUESTIONS. MOST PEOPLE THINK I LOOK HUMAN, THAT HELPS.

[bigbookofd]

...not to be confused with the 13th Arcana, one assumes, unless you've taken a more active interest.

Pseudonyms. That's a concern. Ringabel might be quite out of place; Bill Door is a bit less on the nose than I'm used to from home and my first Jaunt.

Perhaps something euphonious rather than literal? Hmn.

[fruitknife]

This is Shinji. Gonna find a kitchen and stick with it. [Aaaaaaand this surprises exactly no one.]

Far as what's goin' on, your guess is as good as mine.

[bigbookofd]

We're at some sort of school festival, I've gathered. In a world that uses magic as casually as mine does. I'm neither student or staff, and have the papers for neither, but you may have some on your person.

There's always work that needs doing in a tavern. There's an idea. And with a Chemist's Asterisk I can offer services as a brewer.

[carbonatedscientist]

This is Sento Kiryu.

I'm also a teenager for...whatever reason...and I'm with the Japanese school.

Apparently.

[bigbookofd]

Japan. That's a point of similarity. Similar to the Japan of your world, then?

[uzoda]

Kenzaki here! I am really not sure what's going on, but it seems... nice, at least?

Uh... my Pogemon partner looks like his regular self, and he's here with me! That seems like a hint to the kind of place we are, right?

[bigbookofd]

How so? Dakki has informed me that we are at Majesty's Academy, here for the Triad Creation Tourney - an international, intramural festival.

[photonicfighter]

Dakki Sigal, checking in! Only, actually, I'm Lizzy Speigel! I'm myself but I'm infiltrated at the same time! This is so exciting!

...oh, it's a tournament between magic schools! That's what this all is.

[bigbookofd]

You have the memories of your echo?

...tell us everything you can. Your insight may be critical.

[whydoyoushine]

You guys don't need to worry--I'm still myself.

[Zed isn't even bothering to say who this is.]

And some kid at the same time, but the important thing is, I'm here to help.

[bigbookofd]

(He is filled with a sense of terrible foreboding.)

Good to know. If you've also memories of your echo here, please share what you can.

[thornsofmalkav]

Hey, it's Thorne. I went and half-Infiltrated again. So if you see a teenager who looks like me, that's me. Call her Charley, though, because that's what I was calling myself back in high school.

We're at a tri-yearly competition between the schools called the Triad Creation Tourney. It starts off with two weeks of the students exhibiting magic art, then there's a rest period with a party, during which time everyone who isn't one of the three chosen Champions works on the final event which is, like, a bunch of challenges at once that the Champions have to get through.

My Infiltration, Charley, was at the last one. They're pretty cool.

[bigbookofd]

Magic art. Haha!

Are the two entwined here? Is there more quotidian magic, or is it all fueled by creation?

That's tremendously helpful, thank you. Another that can retain both sets of memories... how difficult is it to learn such skills?

[scarsolderthanyou]

This is Stone. I'm still me. And I'm still gray, which is getting some looks, but not as many as it could get me.

Apparently I'm hired help for building things and tearing things down, or so the people on the very unstable flying boats tell me.

[He means the balloons, if anyone can parse that.]

[bigbookofd]

The smaller lifts then, attached to the balloons, not the airships proper?

A day laborer isn't a terrible cover story. Be aware that displays of magic here are intrinsically tied to works of creation...

...I've an idea for a cover story, and you won't even have to change your name. Accept or reject it as you may.

[helborn]

Casper here. I'm myself right now, infiltrating as someone from the...

[Oh gods he's going to mangle this.]

Teikak... Teik... Tea... fuck, I don't know how to Japanese.

[He squints at the ID for a moment.]

Tei-ko-ku. School. Thing.

[naturaltwohands]

Casper! I am myself as well.

... I have no idea how to speak Japanese, either.

[senpaidol]

I'm on a boat! (I'm on a boat!)

I'm on a boat! (I'm on a boat!)

...and that's not even an outdated reference because it's 2007 again apparently, wow. Actually was that even around in 2007...?

Rise here, sharing a mind with uh...myself, again. Wow, she is really similar to me this time, just in art school instead of the industry. And this is a school thing! Except schools are magic and apparently a lot less lame than in my version of Japan. And bigger on koi, for some reason.

[shiroganeheir]

We should meet up, Rise. I'm not entirely certain how I am going to present myself. I was thinking school detective. As long as they do not expect me to actually do magic.

[naturaltwohands]

Drizzt Do'Urden. I am now a student of Her Majesty’s Royal Academy of the Arts, thirteen years of age, named Ferdinand Richardson. ... What kind of name is that?

[bigbookofd]

A British one, I gather. One that's largely forgotten it's origins.

It does help me narrow down my nom de-guerre, though I admit I've never heard a language like yours before. Not that Ringabel is a proper name, more a foolish joke.

PRETEND IT SAID INVESTIGATING ALL ALONG

[highsteaks]

This is Chie! I think I'm supposed to be a student at Teikoku, but I don't have any other memories, so I'm just Investigating, I guess. As a mysterious transfer student. Back in high school, ugh. I'm too old for this, even if my paperwork says I'm not.

[Chie, you're only a year or two older than your paperwork.]

[fruitknife]

I was too old for school when I was in school.

[It sure felt like it, anyway.]

[dino_zarf]

I'm me and Daddy is Daddy this time.

I think we're all glad of that one.

[Especially anyone not used to Rose screaming]

[likescats]

THAT IS MOST LIKELY A GOOD THING. WHAT ARE YOU TWO PRETENDING TO BE?

[thezerothlaw]

I, Daneel, am here, though currently I am Mr. Dan Oliver, instructor at Lone Star Academy, as well.

[bigbookofd]

Of the arts, mystical or otherwise? What does a course of study at Lone Star involve?

[rebellioninbloom]

This is Haru speaking... I believe I'm supposed to be a transfer student at this 'Majesty's' school? In my final year, perhaps? I'm not entirely sure how this is intended to work ... the school system here seems rather different at a first glance.
...even without being set on a cloud.

[bigbookofd]

A great deal will hinge on whether classes will continue during the tourney.

If all else fails, there’s a village below.

[reincarnatedprince]

Mamoru Chiba reporting in. I'm posing as a freelancer tutor, who signed up for the tournament as I seem to be too old to be a student.

[bigbookofd]

That seems a useful cover. What subjects?

[finalizes]

I'm still me and Saffron is a toad!

[This is highly distressing, okay. A very terrible icing on the cake of terrible.]

[bigbookofd]

What manner of being is Saffron, usually?

Also, describe your clothing; it may give us a clue to the role this stage has thrust on you.

[smokeandcarbs]

This is Jean... I think I'm some sort of janitor now? I have a mop.

[whatspringislike]

I'm still here. Um, Ikari Shinji, I mean, reporting in. I have an ID for the Japanese school!

And... a cello?