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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[carbonatedscientist]

This is Sento Kiryu.

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

Apparently.

[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?

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.]

[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.

[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.

[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?

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.]

[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]

[thezerothlaw]

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

[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.

[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.

[finalizes]

I'm still me and Saffron is a toad!

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

[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?